Run-out of Sensitive Clay Debris: Significance of the Flow Behavior of Sensitive Clays

Abstract

Geohazards in the form of massive flow slides in sensitive clay deposits have been responsible for the loss of human lives and damage to nearby infrastructure. The run-out of sensitive clay debris involved in such flow slides is, among others, largely influenced by the remolded shear strength (c_ur) of the sensitive clays. The present work studied this factor using a small-scale model referred to as the run-out test. The results demonstrated that sensitive clay debris with c_ur < 0.3 kPa have a potential for a longer run-out, whereas a very short run-out was observed for the sensitive clay debris with c_ur >1 kPa. These observations were back-calculated using the three-dimensional numerical tool DAN3D.