An Example of Weather Impact on A Hilly Landscape

Boo Soldo1,2, Matija Orekovi2, Damir tuhec3

1

Assistant Professor; University of Zagreb; Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering; bozo.soldo@gfv.hr 2 B Sc GE; Polytechnic in Varadin; Study Civil Engineering; matija.oreskovic@velv.hr 3 B Sc GE; University of Zagreb; Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering; geolab@gfv.hr

Abstract:
Quantities of precipitation within a certain area and during a certain period of time vary from time to time. If observed in a more general sense, precipitation certainly has an effect on the state of the surroundings, i.e. the landscape. The paper is an example of the influence of weather conditions on a hilly landscape in a technical sense. The key example of said landscape is a hilly portion of northwestern Croatia, where sliding of natural slopes occurred within a certain period of time and due to certain weather conditions. Key words: precipitation, hilly landscape, seepage, erosion, sliding

1.

INTRODUCTION

In the spring of 2006 natural disaster occurred in the nort west Croatian region due to occurrence of large number of natural slope sliding in a small area within a relatively short time. Over fifty slidings of natural slopes occurred in the area of cca. 150 km2 , more exactly in the mostly hilly Bednja region. Massive slope sliding can be related to a specific hydro-meteorological characteristics of that period, but also to geotechnical sensitivity of that area to influences of destabilizing factors.

Figure 1 a) map of the concerned area in the Bednja region, sliding slope that was angled at 1225, mostly at 15; b) landscape perspective

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2. OCCURRENCE AND SLOPE SLIDINGS CHARACTERISTICS

Numerous slope slidings appeared within a short period of time and that was remembered for number and speed of slidings. Slidings were spotted on different places, and the most common appearance and greatest damages were on roads. Immediately after visual oversight of slidings examinations have began to determine the reasons of its occurance in such a short period of time i.e. mostly they appeared within the month of June 2006., more precisely, the last two days of June. The first thing to do was to examine the precipitation quantities in the last several years measured in the local weather stations. It immediately became clear that the precipitation was constant during winter and spring months and in noticeably heavier comparing to recent years. The year was extremely watery, with dizzle and snow melting watering the soil that led to maximum saturation after winter. It is logical that in this rainy period water perspiration from the soil was minimal.
200 180 160 140 koliina padalina [mm] 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 mjesec 7 8 9 10 11 12

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Koliine padalina kroz godine

Figure 2. Precipitation level trough years 2003-2009 Final culmination after all those negative circumstances (for slope sliding) within the month of June heavy raining (cca. 150mm of height) happened. Last two days of May had 35 mm. That peek was the moment when fast slidings with the speed of 1m/h were visually obvious (slipping). On the roads shifts even larger than 1 m occurred, and in some extreme cases more than 10 meters. Slidings happened after and during heavy raining. Road slidings were most common on the curves. The sliding upstarted on the most curved part of the road where overflow of surface water from upper to lower road sections (i.e. from upper to lower part of hill slope) happened. Landscape is quite diverse, with lowlands, slightly sloped terrain, sloped terrain, considerably sloped terrain and steep terrain, meaning from 0 to 55 degrees. Road building, over the obstacles: erosion gutter, ravine, gullies, i.e. occasional water torrents as well as rills, was obligatory on those soft grounds that are sensitive to creeping and sliding. That means that needed hydrotechnical drainage elements are of different categories.

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Figure 3. Precipitatin level throughout April and May 2006. After the year 2006 but before the rehabilitation in 2009 some old slidings became wider and with less significant hydro-meteorological characteristics that is understandable considering they have already been damaged (shear strength is lower, and where water enters through the soil cracks. In addition to important observation of formation and sliding dimensions, geological and geotechnical structures were examined. Geotehnical researches were conducted in a short period of time on twenty slidings that were most urgent for rehabilitation. The project was continued with rehabilitation scheme.

Figure 4. Certain slidings of observed landscape

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3. CONCLUSION
Hilly terrain configuration, specific geological and geotechnical characteristics, hydrotehnical landscape elements and hydro-meteorological factors are main reasons of sliding occurrences. It is of a great importance that problem solving approach is systematic and strategically designed and prevention of further occurrences (with hydrotehnical landscape interventions). It is relevant as well to consider the landscape while giving rehabilitation solutions and preventing.

LITERATURE
[1] Soldo, B. i dr.: Geotehniki elaborati i Projekti sanacije cestovnih klizita; Geotehniki fakultet, Sveuilita u Zagrebu, Varadin, 2007. [2] Soldo, B. & Ivandi, K.: The Analysis of the Illite - Clays Natural Landslides, IX International Symposium on Landslides, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 28 to July 2, 2004. [3] Soldo, B.: Characteristics of road landslides in cohesive soils, I. BH Kongres o cestama, Sarajevo, 27-28 sep., 2007. [4] Soldo, B. & Markovi, S.: Road maintenance with an emphasis on geotechnical procedures, IV. hrvatsko savjetovanje o odravanju cesta, ibenik, Hrvatska, 14. do 16. listopada, 2009. [5] Hrvatski hidrometeoroloko zavod, Koliine padalina u Bednji, Zagreb, 2006. - 2009.; http://meteo.hr/

BALWOIS 2010 - Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia - 25, 29 May 2010