Geotechnical Hazards with Emphasis on Seismically-Combined Effects on Slopes

Abstract

This paper first addresses several examples of complex or compound natural disasters with an emphasis of slope instabilities. In many of them, the first effect was produced by earthquakes and the second one was made by heavy rains. Weathering is another kind of the first event. Because the complex events are of stronger action, it is made more difficult to achieve safety. Hence discussion is often made of the importance of relocation of habitats to safer places and/or emergency evacuation. Technical visits to sites of such “soft” measures revealed that the success of those measures depends on education of people and the administrator’s reasonable respect of the people’s need for good jobs and reliable income.