Liquefaction characteristics and damage evolution of rapid and long-traveling landslides

Rapid and long-traveling landslides can often pose severe threats to life and property due to their high velocities and large scales. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct further investigations into the causes of such landslides. In this study, the shear mechanical behavior and liquefaction mechanism of the Aranayaka landslide were investigated through undrained ring shear tests conducted under varying normal stresses. The results show that peak strength, residual strength, and pore pressure ratio increase with the increase in normal stress. During the ring shear tests, soil particles along the sliding surface liquefied, and the pore water pressure decreased first and then increased. Moreover, a statistical damage constitutive model was developed using damage theory and the Weibull distribution function. Damage evolution in the slip-zone soil is divided into three stages: the undamaged stage, the liquefaction stage, and the post-peak loading stage. With the increase in normal stress, the damage in the liquefaction stage decreases gradually, indicating that liquefaction can cause significant damage even under low normal stress levels. Furthermore, the key parameters proposed in the study were introduced to drive numerical calculations, and the entire physical process of landslide initiation, transportation, and accumulation was restored.