
Prof. Jiye Chen
University of Portsmouth, UK
Title: A Soil Moisture Extended Cohesive Damage Element (SMECDE) Method for Forecasting Slope Failure Under Heavy Rainfall
Abstract:
Slope failure including natural landslides and engineering slope failure propagation. It is one of the most prominent natural disasters and cause extensive human suffering and financial losses worldwide, especially in China, South Asia and in many African countries every year. In most landslides affected countries, more than 90% of landslides occur during summer monsoons. Accurate spatial and temporal forecasting for mitigation is a global challenge. There is an urgent need to establish global digital networks to forecast slope failure occurrences caused by heavy rainfall, and their potential damage areas in order to increase resilience and enable planning to mitigate extensive human and financial losses.
This speech will introduce a computational damage mechanics-based approach in the geotechnical engineering area for assessing slope failure initiation and propagation. Speech will focus on the novel Soil Moisture Extended Cohesive Damage Element (SMECDE) Method for significantly improved understanding of slope failure mechanisms and forecasting slope initiation location and propagation. The SMECDE integrates a Soil Moisture Decohesion Model (SMDM), which combines lateral and vertical variation in soil moisture and depth with a predictive Extended Cohesive Damage Element (ECDE) approach. A mathematical model will be introduced to correlate weather forecasted rainfall intensity and soil moisture to enable the SMDM varies with soil moisture and rainfall intensity. A fundamental framework of ECDE approach will be introduced briefly with their validation and applications in different areas. This speech will also provide an example of application of the SMECDE in predicting railway embankment slope failure under heavy rainfall. Further development of the SMECDE will be also given at the end of speech followed by discussion,
Biography: