LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course deals with hazards posed by landslides and erosional processes resulting from natural phenomena and/or man-made actions. Firstly, the geotechnical bases and the principles of landslide classification, investigation and mapping, as well as the basic approaches to assess slope stability conditions will be presented. Later, the various techniques of slope monitoring and the methods available for the assessment of landslide susceptibility will be discussed. At last, the course will deal with aspects of landslide risk management, namely prevention and mitigation measures.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide the fundamental concepts about landslide hazard. At the end of the course the student gains the following skills:

- identification and characterization of landslide mechanisms;

- definition of the most appropriate landslide investigation and monitoring techniques;

- selection and application of the most suitable basic approaches for landslide susceptibility and hazard analysis;

- definition of landslide risk mitigation strategies.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is based on lectures, tutorials and case histories. Lectures are performed through multimedia presentations.

Please refer to the specific AulaWeb application of this course for any update due to possible changes in the health and epidemiological situation.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course deals with the following topics:

- Basic concepts of Engineering Geology;

- Characterization of landslide types and processes: landslide mechanisms, landslide classification, landslide activity, landslide predisposing and triggering factors;

- Landslide investigation, geologic site exploration and landslide mapping;

- Landslide monitoring;

- Introduction to landslide hazard, landslide susceptibility and landslide risk;

- Methods for landslide susceptibility and hazard assessment and zoning in relation to different spatial scales;

- Landslide risk reduction strategies;

- Landslide stabilization and mitigation measures.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Learning material provided during the course and available on Aulaweb.

- Abramson L.W., Lee T.S., Sharma S., Boyce G.M. (2002) – Slope stability and stabilization methods. 2nd Ed. Wiley Interscience.

- Clague J.J, Stead D. (2012) – Landslides - Types, Mechanisms and Modeling. Cambridge University Press.

- Cruden, D. M. (1993). The multilingual landslide glossary. The International Geotechnical Societies UNESCO Working Party for World Landslide Inventory, 5.

- Highland, L., & Bobrowsky, P. T. (2008). The landslide handbook: a guide to understanding landslides (p. 129). Reston: US Geological Survey.

- Hungr, O., Leroueil, S., & Picarelli, L. (2014). The Varnes classification of landslide types, an update. Landslides, 11(2), 167-194.

- Settles, E., Göttle, A., & Von Poschinger, A. (2008). Slope monitoring methods-a state of the art report. ClimChalp Interreg III B Alpine Space -Work package, 6.