Team members of the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) have worldwide experience in reconnaissance and evaluation of landslides, specializing in expedient field judgment and the mitigation of hazard to the public.
Small landslides can trigger larger, more destructive debris flows. In December 2003, rainfall following the disastrous fires in California's San Bernardino Mountains triggered a landslide that killed more than a dozen campers. Nearly 3 years earlier, a major landslide in El Salvador resulted in several deaths and closed the Pan American highway for 1 week.
One of the most important lessons learned to date is that each ground failure is unique. That is, landslides are always triggered by a site-specific phenomenon. The key to understanding slide behavior and developing appropriate mitigation is identifying the triggering mechanism. |
Capabilities