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Anaheim Hills Landslide. ‘Avenida de Santiago’ January 17th 1993. Introduction. Southern California, the Orange County Winter storms cause widespread slope failures Disrupt infrastructure Excess rainwater causes rising groundwater levels Re-activates ancient landslide
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Anaheim Hills Landslide ‘Avenida de Santiago’ January 17th 1993
Introduction • Southern California, the Orange County • Winter storms cause widespread slope failures • Disrupt infrastructure • Excess rainwater causes rising groundwater levels • Re-activates ancient landslide • ‘Avenida de Santiago’ most high profile
Why did it occur? • North-facing hillside topography • Geology • Rising Groundwater • Human error
Geology • Northward dipping section • Sandstone and Siltstone (Puente Formation) • Miocene age • Bedding dips 7° to 25° to North • Strikes range NE to NW • Failure in Puente Formation • Parallel to bedding • Sandstone • Medium to Coarse grained • Poor cemented • Weak • Inter bedded with Siltstone
Geology • Compressional uplift of tertiary sedimentary section due to blind thrust faults • San Andreas fault • Strike slips and thrust faults • Multiple earthquakes • Late Quaternary time contributes to landslide
Weather • Intense rainfall December 1992 and January 1993 • Equal to average annual rainfall (38cm) • Raised groundwater level in landslide mass
Human Error • Early Geotechnical Investigation • No groundwater evaluation • Piezometer • Poor borehole investigations • Few widely spaced and shallow • Responsive, not proactive • Local authorities authorised Geological Investigation upon observation of cracks • Neglected evidence of previous landslides
The Landslide • Soil Slumps and Soil Block slides move at 2/3cm per day • Translational • 400m wide x 600m long • After management solutions slide deemed stationary by mid-April 1993
The Landslide • Cracks and Fissures developed at head • Compressional features damaged infrastructure lower down slope • Immediate Engineering implications
Geotechnical Investigation • Ridge Top Graben at LD-3 source of landslide • Slip occurs at Sandstone bedrock as identified by borehole logs
Engineering Prevention Strategies • Dewatering to control groundwater level • Removal and recompaction of potentially compressible soils • Complete or partial removal of ancient landslides • Stabilisation of potentially unstable cut slopes • Case study $2.9 million for one house! • Specific structure foundation designs
Dewatering • GHAD final solution • 30 million gallons water per year • Dewatering wells and horizontal drains • Lower and control groundwater levels • Substantially improved stability of landslide mass • Constantly monitored
Conclusion • Re-activation of Ridge-Top Graben by seismic shaking & rising groundwater • Dewatering is a ‘stop gap’ • $3.5 million budget • Constant road resurfacing • New fissures appeared in 1998 • Escape route plan