Initiation and displacement of landslide induced by earthquake - a study of shaking table model slope test

Landslide researches often focus on factor of safety, critical acceleration, and displacement. For an earthquake-induced landslide, the initiation and displacement of the landslide were important factors for definition of failure. In this research, the shaking table model slope test is adopted for study of slope failure initiation based on analyses of limit equilibrium, particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis, and acceleration time history recorded within the model slope. Based on the analyses, landslide initiation could be defined as surface and local movement of the slope; slope failure could be defined based on the massive movement of the slope. The PIV analysis provides good information for identifying both surface movement and massive movement. The landslide displacement determined from the slope movement provides consistent results compared to observed displacements. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.