Tour Report on the Work Progress for the Mitigation of Reutala Landslide
May 2016
Introduction.
Reutala located around 84 kilometers from Trongsa has persistently reported roadblocks for over
seven months in the past years of the country. Annually, the department of roads (DoR) spends
Nu 4.7 million (M) on an average to keep the road in Reutala clear of debris and ensure that the
road is open to traffic during those seven months. However, the spending has neither been able to
stabilize Reutala because the entire hillock is stationed in unstable geological condition and
prone to massive slides during monsoons.
There are different approaches to dealing with landslides, depending on needs, risks and
available funds. Stabilization measures to fully remediate landslides according to the standard of
practice often take time to investigate, design and construct and can become expensive,
particularly for large/deep slides. The standard of practice includes selecting a suitable Factor of
Safety (margin of stability). Significant stabilization measures might be required to protect
critical facilities as in our case primary highway routes. However, there are situations where full
stabilization is impractical (due to size of landslide, excessive cost, and environmental and
ownership restrictions). The challenge is to develop an optimal treatment that is cost-effective
and achieves stability, based on a reasonable level of study, sound scientific understanding and
qualified landslide experience.
Site Observation
With reference to the previous report, the slide had affected about 320 meter road length and its
crown extended as far as 450 meter from road level. The width of slide crown was measured 100
meters.
In some area the slope had displaced as far as 14 meter from its original level. A significant
amount of water seepage were noticed within the landslide area right from crown to its toe. The
seepages were also noticed through the joints and foliation of the rock.
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1) Catch Drain
It was proposed to construct earthen catch drain above the crown of the landslide
to divert the surface run off away from the landslide area.
2) French Drain
The Department of Roads has begun with the construction of a French drain at the top of
the slide area to control seepage. The slide could be contained to certain extent if the
seepage can be controlled. The Geotechnical Investigation team found that there was no
seepage on the landslide area between the crown and the road. The idea of French drain is
to divert the larger amount of seepage to a stream nearby.
Above the French drain a catch drain has also been proposed to collect the rainwater. The
catch drain will help discharge the rainwater to the same stream. The French drain will be
constructed with half the surface of the HDPE pipe provided with perforated holes, which
will be covered with layers of gravel of standard gradings. On the surface, the drain will
be covered with a geo-textile mat to prevent seepage of soil, which could cause blocks
inside the drain.
3) Scaling the loose overburden materials above the road in benches to minimize the risk of
rolling boulders.
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C
Figure A,B,C: French Drain under laying which doesnt meet the design specification standards.
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