In this paper, the research progress made in the methods used for assessing the internal stability of landslide dam soils was reviewed. Influence factors such as the gradation of soil and the stress state in the soil in different analysis methods were discussed, as these can provide a reference for the development of more accurate methods to analyze the internal stability of landslide dam soils. It focuses on the evaluation of internal stability based on the characteristic particle size and fine particle content, hydraulic conditions such as the critical hydraulic gradient and critical seepage velocity, and the stress state such as lateral confinement, isotropic compression, and triaxial compression. The characteristic particle size and fine particle content are parameters commonly used to distinguish the types of seepage failure. The critical hydraulic gradient or seepage failure velocity are necessary for a further assessment of the occurrence of seepage failure. The stress state in the soil is a significant influence factor for the internal stability of natural deposited soils. Although various analysis methods are available, the applicability of each method is limited and an analysis method for complex stress states is lacking. Therefore, the further validation and development of existing methods are necessary for landslide dam soils.

Internal erosion refers to the movement of fine particles within soil framework due to subsurface water seepage. Existing criteria for assessing internal erosion usually are based on static loading, and the effect of cyclic load is not considered. Additionally, there are limited studies to examine the particle -size distribution and origin of eroded fine particles. This study presents an experimental investigation that examines the impact of cyclic loading on internal stability through a series of seepage tests. The composition and origin of lost particles are quantitatively studied using particle staining and image recognition techniques. With increasing hydraulic gradient, particle erosion progresses from top layer to bottom layer, with a gradual increase in the maximum particle size of eroded particles from each layer. After significant loss of particles, the specimens reach a state of transient equilibrium, resulting in a gradual slowdown of both particle loss rate and average flow velocity. The results indicate that cyclic loading promotes massive particle loss and causes erosion failure of specimens that are considered stable according to existing criteria. The reason is that under cyclic loading, local hydraulic gradients is oscillating, and a larger than average hydraulic gradient may occur, which is responsible for the internal instability. The analysis suggests that existing criteria can provide a reasonable assessment of the relative stabilities of specimens under static loads but fail to capture the stabilities under cyclic loading conditions.

Foundation settlement and collapse disasters resulting from seepage deformation in hydraulic-filled islands and reefs have been observed in the South China Sea, but the underlying failure mechanism and characteristic remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the influence of compactness and fine particle content on the seepage deformation of gap-graded coral sand and revel the characteristics and mechanism of seepage deformation of gap-graded coral sand through laboratory seepage deformation tests. The results indicate that the seepage deformation failure mode of gap-graded coral sand is influenced by the content of fine particles which undergo an evolution process from continuous piping to discontinuous piping to boiling. Particle loss is affected by the constraints between coarse particles, and the ability of different particle contact forms to restrict the loss of fine particles is different. Moreover, irregular particle morphology increases intergranular constraints, enhancing the coral sand's resistance to seepage deformation compared to standard quartz sand. Based on these findings, the instability coefficient was used to consider the influence of particle morphology and inter-particle contact on the seepage deformation. A hydraulic criterion for the internal stability of coral sand was established, demonstrating its versatility. Furthermore, the applicability of existing geometric criteria in evaluating coral sand was analyzed. The existing methods were found to be inaccurate in evaluating the internal stability of coral sand specimens with a fine particle content below 20 %.