71-6 Analysis of slope failure mechanism complexities: A Case Study from NH-44, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Session: The Geodynamic Evolution of the Himalaya: From Mountain Building to Modern Seismicity and Climate Change (Posters)

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The present study was conducted at the Dewal bridge landslide along National Highway-44 (NH-44) in Udhampur district, J&K. The research aimed to analyze the slope stability, identify the causes of failure, and suggest urgent rehabilitation measures to prevent loss of life and hardships. Soil sample’s grain size analysis indicated that the sediments are classified as "Sandy silt," which is a factor that contributes to landslides. The high moisture content, absorption value, permeability, and plastic limit further indicate weak shear strength in these samples. The considerable variation in specific gravity, void ratio, porosity, bulk density, and dry density of soil samples from different beds at the same location suggests significant diversity in soil composition. Kinematic analysis showed that wedge and planar failures were the most common failure modes in the area. Rock slope stability was evaluated using the Basic Rock Mass Rating (RMR_basic), discrete Slope Mass Rating (Discrete SMR), and continuous slope mass rating (CoSMR) methods. The RMR_basic used categorized the site as good (II), but SMR indicated that the site was unstable, with a 0.6 probability of failure in this landslide-prone area. This demonstrates a significant alignment between the joint set orientation and slope, leading to slope instability. The findings suggest that the main causes of this landslide include highly jointed rock masses, irregular toe cutting, water-sensitive lithology, inadequate drainage, and highly stressed regime due to local faults. In this study, location-specific mitigation strategies were proposed, which also aim to mitigate socioeconomic impacts.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-9744

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