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tom_11-17-2018 Loess geohazards research in China final draft.pdf (831.78 kB)

Loess geohazards research in China: Advances and challenges for mega engineering projects

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journal contribution
posted on 2019-03-21, 13:28 authored by C. Hsein Juang, Tom DijkstraTom Dijkstra, Janusz Wasowski, Xingmin Meng
© 2019 Loess is a meta-stable, cemented assemblage of mainly silt and clay-sized particles of low plasticity. When dry it behaves like a brittle material, but when wetted up the fabric rapidly collapses. Unique geomorphological features include extensive surface erosion, soil piping (loess ‘karst’), catastrophic landslides, and widespread collapse (hydro-consolidation). The Chinese Loess Plateau is a more or less continuous drape of thick loess covering some 440,000 km2. It is one of China's regions that is most prone to geohazards. This paper reviews advances in the research related to loess geohazards, drawing particular attention to the need to apply research findings to recent, very large (mega-)construction projects in loess terrain such as the Mountain Excavation and City Construction in Yan'an levelling 78 km2 for urban expansion, the Lanzhou New District creating 246 km2 of new level ground for construction, and large engineered interventions in the landscape for gully control and land reclamation such as those in Shaanxi and Gansu generating agricultural land covering an area of some 8000 km2. These projects are in response to increasing pressures to facilitate expansion of urban centres, their interconnecting infrastructures and their agricultural support systems. It is argued that, where proper application of scientific knowledge for engineering control (e.g. densification, drainage) of these new landscapes is absent, these projects could generate a substantial, and costly geohazard legacy for future generations.

History

School

  • Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering

Published in

Engineering Geology

Volume

251

Pages

1 - 10

Citation

HUANG, C.H. ... et al., 2019. Loess geohazards research in China: Advances and challenges for mega engineering projects. Engineering Geology, 251, pp. 1 - 10.

Publisher

© Elsevier

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publisher statement

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Engineering Geology and the definitive published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.01.019

Acceptance date

2019-01-31

Publication date

2019-01-31

Copyright date

2019

ISSN

0013-7952

Language

  • en

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