Discussions on the failure types of landslides due to seepage by sandbox tests

Seismic signals are usually generated during landslide or movement of soil mass due to collisions and frictions among the soil particles and masses. The seismic signals will be different when different failure types or different movement mechanism occurs. In this study, a series sandbox tests of model slopes were performed to record the seismic signals generated during the failure process induced by seepage of the model slopes. The characteristics of the seismic signals were analyzed and can be corresponded to the three failure types, which were identified as: (1) single slide, (2) intermittent slide, and (3) successive slide. The sliding masses of a single slide are sliding on a failure surface with fast speed and it is a one-time sliding in a short time. The intermittent slide is defined for a slide with multiple small movements occurring many times along a same failure surface over a long period of time. The successive slide is defined as many irregular slides occur in many different failure surfaces and the slides do not share displaced material or a surface of failure with them. This study discussed the landslide processes of the model slopes and the corresponding characteristics of their seismic signals. In addition, this study compared the self-potential, pore pressure, water lever, water content and the data measured from tensiometers to assist the interpretation of the failure processes of the model slopes.