WATER CONTENT AND ITS EFFECT ON A SLOPE FAILURE IN

BANGLADESH

Md. Abdul Alim1, Md. Abdul Bari2 and Bulbul Ahmed3

1
Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
2
8 Engr. Battalion, Jessore Cantonment, Jessore, Bangladesh
3
Lecturer, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT
Most of Bangladesh is flat. However small areas of the country including Sylhet, Chittagong, Bandarban, Rangamati,
Khagrachari and Cox’s Bazar are hilly. Slope failures are common in Bangladesh during the monsoon season. As a
consequence, every year both property and lives are lost due to slope failure on hilly areas. In this study, the causes of
slope failure and the remedial measures required are discussed with a case study of slope failure at Himsory of Cox’s
Bazar in Bangladesh. Stability analyses of the failed slope have been investigated by adding water in different
proportions to get the critical condition of this slope. From the test results, it is found that shear strength parameters of
the soil decrease with an increase of water content. As a result the slope failure occurs when the slope becomes
saturated.

1 INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is a developing country with a high population; around 150 million people live in the land area of 147,570
km2. Most of Bangladesh is flat. However, a few places like Chittagong, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagracari are hilly.
Every year more people take shelter in hilly areas and cut into the hill slopes. As a result slope failures of hills are
common in Bangladesh during the monsoon season causing economic and life losses every year. On 11th June 2007,
128 people died including at least 59 children following hill slope failure due to heavy rainfall in different parts of the
Chittagong City Corporation area. In 2008, 11 people were killed a similar incident. On 15 June 2010, at least 100
people died following landslides and flash flooding at Himsory of Cox’s Bazar. On that day, the preceeding 24 hours
rainfall was recorded as 242 mm. In July 2011, 12 people died at Atali hill in the Tiger pass area of Chittagong city due
to mud sliding; in the same year 60 people were killed by rain-triggered landslides in Chittagong region. All these slope
failures are related to heavy rainfall. In the last five years frequent slope failures have occurred in the hilly regions of
Bangladesh. Now questions are being asked - why have these failures taken place?
The main task of this study has been to find out the mechanism of failure of existing hills due to rainfall and to propose
a protective measures/warning system in these hills on the basis of existing materials properties. For these purposes, an
existing slope failure at Himsory of Cox’s Bazar has been analyzed.

2 MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

The soil used in this study is called sandy loam (sand 58%, silt 30% and clay 12%) which is collected from Himsory
hill of Cox’s Bazar (Figure 1). The grain size distribution is shown in Figure 2. The field slope density and the other
properties of the soil tested in the laboratory were also determined and are given in Table 1. The basic equipment which
used in this study is: (i) Direct shear test apparatus (ii) Load frame (iii) Proving ring (iv) Dial gauge (v) Balance (vi)
Water etc.

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Figure 1: Himsory hill at Cox’s Bazar

Gravel Sand Silt Clay

>2mm) (2~0.05mm) (0.05~0.005mm) <0.005mm

Figure 2: Grain size distruibution

Table 1: Basic properties of the soil
Properties
Specific gravity, Gs 2.66
Grain size analysis
D10 (mm) 0.005
D30 (mm) 0.015
D60 (mm) 0.025
Coefficient of uniformity, Cu 5.00
Coefficient of curvature, Cc 1.80
Compaction
Maximum dry density, (kN/m3) 19.3
Optimum moisture content, (%) 11.3
Void ratio, e 0.35
Field dry density , (kN/m3) 18.9
Field void ratio, ef 0.38

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3 LABORATORY TESTING
3.1 DIRECT SHEAR TEST PROGRAM AND PROCEDURE
A series of 15 direct shear tests were carried out on the soil of Himsory hill at Cox’s Bazar. A specific amount of soil
was mixed with different quantities of water (0%, 4%, 8%, 15% and 20%) and then compacted in 3 layers in a shear
box of 60 mm diameter and 33 mm height. The specimen in the shear box was brought to normal stresses of 27.25 kPa,
54.50 kPa and 136.25 kPa and shearing started. The undrained direct shear test had a strain-rate of 0.01 mm/min.
During shearing process, the horizontal deformation was measured. All the specimens have been sheared up to 12%
shear displacement and peak shear stresses were found in this range.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 PRESENTATION OF TEST RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Figures 3(a), 4(a), 5(a), 6(a) and 7(a) show shear stress versus shear strain relationships under different normal stress
with differing water content. From these figures the shear stress versus normal stress relationships are presented in
Figures 3(b), 4(b), 5(b), 6(b) and 7(b). All these experimental results show that shear stress increases with increase in
normal stress and the shear strength parameters the internal friction angle, φ (360, 340, 330, 310, 290) and cohesion, c
(16, 8, 4.5, 0, 0) decreases with increasing water content (0%, 4%, 8%, 15%, 20%) (Figure 8). It means that water
content is contributing to the shear strength of soils. When water percolates into soil masses then pore water pressure
develops inside the soil masses and the water tries to move the soil grains away from each other. As a result the shear
strength of soil masses decreases.

(a) (b)
Figure 3: (a) Shear stress versus shear strain and (b) Shear stress versus normal stress relationships of dry soil under
different normal stresses

(a) (b)
Figure 4: (a) Shear stress versus shear strain and (b) Shear stress versus normal stress relationships with 4% water
content under different normal stresses

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(a) (b)
Figure 5: (a) Shear stress versus shear strain and (b) Shear stress versus normal stress relationships with 8% water
content under different normal stresses

(a) (b)
Figure 6: (a) Shear stress versus shear strain and (b) Shear stress versus normal stress relationships with 15% water
content under different normal stresses

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(a) (b)
Figure 7: (a) Shear stress versus shear strain and (b) Shear stress versus normal stress relationships with 20% water
content under different normal stresses

Figure 8: Friction angle and cohesion with varying water content

5 ANALYSIS OF TEST RESULTS

The existing hill had two slopes: the upper slope of 60 and a lower slope of 330 respectively (Figure 1). In the 24 hours
to 15 June 2010, the recorded rainfall was 242 mm. Failure of the lower slope occurred during this time. From field and
laboratory tests data it was found that material within the slope was at 92% standard compaction and the slope became
saturated with 15% water content. In this study, the hill slope model (Figure 9) was divided into 10 slices and the
stability analyses were performed with 0%, 4%, 8%, 15% and 20% water content considering with or without seepage.
In case without seepage, it was observed that the factor of safety gradually decreased with increasing water content,
however, the factor of safety did not reduce below 1 (Figure 10). On the other hand, in the case with seepage slope
failure occurred (Figure 10). From the slope density, it was found that the void ratio of the existing slope was 0.38 and
the slope became saturated when around 15% water infiltrated into the slope. From the stability analyses, it was
observed that when more than 15% water infiltrated then failure of slope occurred. It was found that the field density of
the slope was 98% compacted when compared with laboratory compaction test results.

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Figure 9: Slope model of Himsory hill at Cox’s Bazar Figure 10: Factor of safety with varying water content

6 CONCLUSIONS
From a limited number of experimental results and analyses it has been observed that surface slope failure depends
strongly on slope angle and rainfall intensity; however it is also affected by slope density because a low density of slope
permits more water infiltration into the slope. From field observation it is found that flat slopes remained stable, while
on the other hand steep slopes failed during periods of rainfall. Therefore slope angle is another main cause of slope
failure. Hence it is necessary to flatten the existing steep slope.

From the experimental results it is shown that the factor of safety decreases with the increase of degree of saturation of
soil in the existing hill slope. From the stability analyses it is found that when more than 15% water infiltrated then the
existing slope becomes fully saturated and failure occurred. Slopes may be monitored by installing different measuring
devices that may provide warning of the onset of slope movement

7 REFERENCES
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