The second Mediterranean Symposium on Landslides

Hammamet (Tunisia) 5, 6, 7 October 2023

PORE WATER PRESSURES AND DISPLACEMENT RATES IN A

C. Di Maio*, R. Vassallo*, J. De Rosa*, G. Cutrera†, R. Murtas†

* University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

In a huge landslide in structurally complex clayey formations of the Italian Apennines, ge-
otechnical investigations were carried out, consisting in borings, field permeability tests, pie-
zometric and inclinometric monitoring, as well as laboratory tests. Furthermore, DInSAR data
were processed to evaluate the displacements over the period 2011-2021 along the LOS of
available scatterers. The permeability tests carried out in the Casagrande piezometers as well
as local permeability tests carried out on the slip surface provided the values of hydraulic
conductivity which were used in a 3D FD model realized by the code MODFLOW. The ef-
fects of the historical rain series on pore water pressures were evaluated in the absence and in
the presence of two drainage systems constructed in different periods, consisting in deep wells
with multiple levels of micro-drains. The effects of pore water pressure variations on the dis-
placement rates were compared to those evaluated in other similar landslides.

Keywords: structurally complex formation, landslide, displacement, pore water pressures,

INTRODUCTION

The considered landslide system develops in a slope of the Basento river valley, in the South-
ern Italian Apennines, where the structurally complex Miocene formations of the Numidian
Flysch and Serra Palazzo outcrop. The landslides, characterized by roto-translational sliding
with average yearly displacement rates in the order of some cm/year, cross the national rail-
way and a highway (Figures 1 and 2). In order to reduce the risk for the railway, two drainage
systems were constructed in 1996-97 and 2016-17 which are constituted by deep wells with
3÷4 levels of 30 m long sub-horizontal drains. On the basis of previous and recent investiga-
tions, an analysis of the landslide is being carried out with the double aim of: a) evaluating the
landslide dynamics and the efficiency of the drainage system, and b) comparing this landslide
behaviour to that of other large, long-term monitored landslides in similar formations of the
same river valley.

THE CALCIANO LANDSLIDE

The Numidian Flysch litotypes outcropping in the slope consist of gray or yellow-ochre
quartz-sandstones, with levels and layers of clays and flaky greenish or greyish clayey marls.

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The Serra Palazzo Formation is constituted by an irregular succession of marls, clayey marls
and greyish marly clays, white-grey limestones and marly limestones, greyish calcarenites.
The landslide mainly develops in the Serra Palazzo formation; it is a very inhomogeneous
mixture of clay, silt, gravel and block fractions much variable from site to site. The clay frac-
tion ranges between 5% and 55%; the liquid limit wL between 25% and 140%. The degree of
saturation Sr is about 100% up to the ground surface. Plasticity and activity vary in a wide
range. The landslide has undergone large displacements on a regular slip surface; thus, the
available strength parameters are those relative to residual conditions. The laboratory results
show that the residual friction angle ’r varies in a wide range (10° ≤’r≤ 36°), as an effect of
grain size distribution variations. The comparison with inclinometer measurements shows that
sliding probably occurs on the most plastic and clayey material. The back analysis of the
landslide carried out by 2D LEM methods provides a mobilized angle ’mob 10°.

Figure 1. Map of the landslide and position of new boreholes I2bis, I5bis and I7bis and of the drainage wells
constructed in 1996 -1997 (P1-P3) and 2016-2017 (P4-P8).

Figure 2. Longitudinal section with the slip surface hypothesized on the basis of inclinometer measurements

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The comparison with other similar landslides under study shows that the clay fraction of the
Calciano landslide is generally lower than that of the Costa della Gaveta (Di Maio et al.,
2021; 2010; 2013) and the Varco d’Izzo landslides (Vassallo et al., 2020). As a consequence,
the hydraulic conductivity of the Calciano landslide is generally higher, as shown by Figure 3.
Along the longitudinal section through the new boreholes, the inclinometric measurements
allowed to hypothesize the shape of the slip surface whose depth varies between 15 and 35 m
(Figure 2). The basal displacements exhibited very similar time trends up to now (July 2022 -
March 2023). Their extrapolation suggests an average yearly rate of about 2 cm/year. In order
to analyse a longer displacement series, SAR COSMO-SkyMed and Sentinel-1 images were
processed over the period 2011-2021. On the basis of satellite data, an average displacement
rate in the order of 1÷3 cm/year was evaluated. In particular, downstream of the railway, the
P2 well moves with a rate of approximately 1.5 cm/year, slightly faster than that of the lateral
wells P1 and P3 (Figure 4). Upstream of the railway, wells P7 and P8 have higher average
rates, i.e., between 2 and 3 cm/year. The displacement time trend shows a decrease of the dis-
placement rate after the construction of the second drain system. As a matter of fact, pore wa-
ter pressure evaluated by piezometers decreased in a few years following the construction of
the new drainage system (Figure 4). The maximum reduction recorded by piezometers, in
terms of water column, was about 2m. In correspondence with the wells, the reduction is of
the order of 15÷16 m, but the effect is very local.
The calculations carried out with MODFLOW 3D by considering a permeability k = 10-7 m/s
in the landslide body allowed the evaluation of the drainage system effects. The effects are
rather fast, with the used k value. The model considering the drainage system in full efficien-
cy suggest that the reduction at the piezometers should be greater than those recorded. So, the
system efficiency can be probably increased by a proper maintenance. However, as expected,
the effects of the wells on the pore pressures along the slip surface are very localized and thus
the effects on the global safety factor of the huge landslide are limited.

Figure 3. Hydraulic conductivity evaluated by different procedures in the Calciano landslide and in the Costa
della Gaveta (Di Maio et al., 2021)

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Figure 4. Water level in the Casagrande piezometers, DInSAR displacements along the LOS, average yearly
displacement rate

CONCLUSIONS

Inclinometer and DInSAR data allowed the evaluation of the geometry and the kinematics of
the landslide. Piezometric monitoring and modelling provided information on the effects of
permeability distribution and drainage on pore water pressures. The results of the analysis
show that the the values of permeability and the effects of rain in the landslide body are more
important and faster than those in other similar landslides with higher clay fraction (Di Maio
et al., 2021). The effects of the drainage systems are rather fast, and they are expected to be
greater than those recorded up to now. However, such effects are very localized, thus the
global safety factor of the huge landslide is not expected to increase effectively.

Acknowledgments: This research is supported by MIUR PON R&I 2014-2020 Program (project
MITIGO, ARS01_00964) and by R.F.I. Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.

REFERENCES

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stiff clay formation. Engineering Geology, 162, 53 - 66 (2013).
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