Stabilization of a sliding hillside

Description of a landslide is presented which occurred at the building site of a storehouse in Budapest. Ten to twelwe thousend cu.m, earth had to be removed. Five retaining stone ribs were built parallel into the slope to compensate for the safety against sliding. Despite of it, a rainy period still iniciated the movement of the earth mass. Then, to stop the movement, 3 m. high stabilising berm had been placed before the toe of the slid mass. The designer would have liked to add nine new stone ribs to the retaining structure, but stability analysis proved that not even such a solution could have resisted the sliding action. Therefore, finally, an 8 m. deep, anchored diaphragm wall was sunk beneath the surface of the berm. This facility brought the slippage to stop and the two storey high storehouse had been erected. This publication deals primarily with the results of soil exploration data, the design of the stone ribs, the stability analysis of the hillside and indicates to the reasons of the landslide. In addition it calls attention to the potential risk of underestimating the inherent danger of constructing on sliding-prone hillsides — both on the part of the designer and the contracor — because unfavourable conditions (clumsy underground conditions, or/and a rainy period during construction) may trigger the movement of earth masses with the outcome of significant economic losses. Pendant la construction d’un batiment de depot r Budapest, un glissement de terre se produisait. Durant le mouvement des terres dix-douze mille m3 de terre a ete enlevee du pied de la colline. Pour augmenter la securite contre le glissement, cinque renforts ont ete batis parallclement r la direction de la pente. Quand meme, un glissement se produisait aprcs une pluie importante. Pour stabiliser le talus, un remblai de hauteur r 3 m a ete construit au pied de la masse de terre glissant. Le concepteur proposait la construction de 9 renforts nouveaux, mais l’etude de stabilite montrait qu’ils n’assureraient pas la securite necessaire. Finalement, la colline a ete stabilisee par un mur de soutcnement ancre qui a ete creuse r partir du niveau du remblai ayant 8 m de profondeur. L’article presente les resultats de la reconnaissance du terrain, le dimensionnement des renforts, les etudes de la stabilite et les causes du glissement. II montre aussi que si le concepteur et le constructeur ne sont pas suffisament prudents en cas d’une construction sur un terrain qui presente un danger potentiel de glissement, alors, en cas des circonstances defavorables (ex. temps pluvieux pendant 1’execution), des glissements de terre, causant un degat important, peuvent se produisent.