Will Houses on Hills Slide? | Slope Stability

Hillside living offers stunning views and a serene environment, but it also comes with unique engineering consideration. As climate change accelerates, increasing the frequency and intensity of rainfall, the risk of landslides grows, posing a significant threat to infrastructure built on slopes.

Understanding Slope Stability

Slope stability refers to the resistance of inclined surfaces to sliding or collapsing. Several factors influence this stability, including soil composition, vegetation cover, water content, and angle of the slope. When these elements are disrupted - due to heavy rain or human intervention - slopes can become unstable, leading to potentially catastrophic landslides.

Reinforcing Infrastructure

Fortunately, geotechnical engineering offers robust solutions to reinforce hillside structures. Techniques such as:

• Retaining Walls: These structures provide lateral support to vertical slopes, preventing the soil from sliding.

• Terracing: This method involves creating stepped levels on the slope, reducing gravitational force on any single point.

• Drainage Systems: Proper drainage prevents water from accumulating in the soil, which can reduce its strength and increase the likelihood of a slide.

• Soil Nailing: This process involves inserting steel bars into the slope to hold soil together, enhancing its stability.

Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing

Early detection of potential slope failures is crucial. This is where satellite remote sensing, particularly Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology comes into play. SAR can monitor ground deformation with high precision, detecting minute changes over time that may indicate slope instability.

Here's how it works:

• Interferometric SAR (InSAR): By comparing radar images taken at different times, InSAR can measure ground movement down to a few millimetres. This enables analysts to identify subtle shifts in the terrain that might precede a landslide.

• Real-Time Monitoring: Continuous monitoring allows for the time identification risk areas, enabling proactive measures to mitigate potential hazards.

InSAR can monitor ground deformation with millimetric accuracy within a high spatial resolution.

At Geofem, we specialise in analysing SAR data to safeguard infrastructure against geohazards. By integrating geotechnical engineering solutions with advanced remote sensing technology, we provide comprehensive risk assessment and actionable insights for infrastructure owners and mangers.