The ages of Valley filling

Cutting hilltop
Massive grading by bulldozers

Filling valley

"Landslides in urban region induced by

the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and its
dynamic monitoring
-A result of socioeconomic changes after WW2 in
Japan-

Toshitaka KAMAI
(Disaster Prevention Research
Institute,
Kyoto Univ.)

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake & Landslides

Cascading effects of linked episodic disasters

and urban development in the 2011 Tohoku
earthquake

Tsunami, Nuclear power plant, and Geohazards

Geo-hazards Liquefaction & Landslides

Landslidesmostly fill slope landslides in urban region

The 1978 Miyagi Prefecture Off Shore

Earthquake
Major earthquake in this region prior to the 2011 earthquake

Landslide

The Major landslides in Sendai City

Landslides were concentrated in the suburbs of Sendai City,
the largest city in the Tohoku province

The population dynamics and the process of urban development in the

Tohoku province during this half century are reflected in the distribution
of urban landslides

Slope movement classification of fill

slopes

Valley-fill type landslides (Example of Type 1)

Ground deformation in the Oritate #5 landslide

The Midorigaoka Landslides

Landslides were overlapped with the landsliding area caused
by the 1978 Miyagi Prefecture Off Shore Earthquake

In spite of countermeasures constructed for landslides induced

by the 1978 earthquake, serious damages by landslides were
found in Midorigaoka #3.

Verification on counter measures for

landslides
Midorigaoka #3 landslide, iteration of damage on
the slope

Tilted head of
pile

Subsidence exposed series

Why houses were damaged in the reinforced slope

after the 1978 event

Thematic cross section of the Midorigaoka #3 landslide in Sendai city

Thematic cross section of the Midorigaoka #1 landslide in Shiroishi city

The Midorigaoka #4 landslides

Typical case of the widening fill
Same position, similar manner of landslide in 1978

Landslides in Midorigaoka #4

Head of the landslide

3/27

5/10

Foot of the landslide

Geology & N-value in Bore holes

The fill was loose and very soft with N-values from 0 to 4. The
bedrock consists of Tertiary sedimentary rocks and contains
intercalated thin lignite beds. The humid top soil of original ground
surface was found at the boundary of the fill and bedrock.

Cross section & depth of observation of the

landslide
The ground water level was very shallow - 0.5 m to 1.1 m below the
ground surface - indicating that the fills were nearly saturated by ground
water.
The contrast in strength between the fill and bedrock is clear, and soft
topsoils exist at the boundary. Thus the landslide is thought to move
along the bottom of the fill. Observations of landslide movements, pore
water pressure changes, and seismic response of fills, were conducted in
this landslide.

The high time density observations of

landslide movements in the Midorigaoka #4
landslide
To detect co-seismic landslide movements
100 Hz sampling on ground inclination at depth of 9 points
100 Hz sampling on pore water pressure
200 Hz sampling on surface ground velocity (seismograph)
From May 2011 to Jun 2012
The 100 Hz observations have to be considered essential to
discuss mechanism of earthquake-induced landslides, however,
these high time density observations have not conducted in
any landslide until now !
We are now at the start point of the new research field on
dynamic landslide movement.

Findings by the observations of landslide

movements
1. After effect of the 3.11 main shock has been continued until few
month later as creeping of slope. (long term changes)

2. The self-dumping at the weak layers in ground structure was

found. The effects of self-dumping varied depend on the thickness
of weak layers and distance from epicenters.

3. Excess pore water pressure in the landslide increased in direct

proportion to horizontal peak ground velocity (PGV) during
earthquakes.

4. The failure process at the slip layer of landslide developed from

small local failures to landslide movement was found.

Co-seismic changes of inclination in bore

holes

Seismic records & pore water pressure changes

in 31th July 2011 (M6.5, 150km ,off Fukushima)

Ground velocity
Plastic behavior of Pore P.

Elastic behavior

Seismic records & co-seismic

pore water pressure changes
in 1st Jan. 2012
(M7.0, 780km, off Torishima)

Ground velocity

in 1st Jan. 2012

Ground velocity

Ground velocity
Elastic behavior of Pore water Pressure

in 31th July 2011

Co-seismic changes of ground inclination

Small amplification

l
Se

Bedrock

ng
i
p
m
du

Normal amplification in fill

Amplification at slip layer

in 31th July 2011

in 1st Jan. 2012

Non uniform pattern

Mostly uniform pattern

Relationship between PGV and Pore water

P.

Excess pore water pressure is proportional to PGV in the small

seismic motion.

Landslide movement &

local failure
The landslide moved after the sequence of several small changes
of inclination

Bore hole #1
Upper fill

Slip surface

Basement

Lessons from the 3.11 disaster

-Landslides Impact on Urban Development-

1. Even the difference of trigger of landslide, urban development

with landform changes
became to the unstable factor in many landslide instability.
2. High potential of landslide disasters in large cities will be
existing.
3. The following three actions are necessary to mitigate these
landslide disasters.
1) To distinguish concretely high risk slope.
2) Ditail investigation on geology and ground water condition
in urban residential
areas.
3) To revise the city planning, urban development plan, based

Contour line city

Risk mitigation of slope disaster in urban residential regions
should lead to a favorable natural environment in the Contour
line city.

storation plan for a small village in Tohoku coa

Fisher mans village is difficult to

move to inland
Small scale Contour Line
City
Collaboration of architect and
geologist

Thanks for your attention

Long time changes of inclination in bore

holes

Long time changes of inclination in bore hole #1

Thinning out to 1 minute interval
After effect of main shock

Earthquake

Creeping of slope?

Slip surface

Basement

Long time changes of inclination in bore hole #2

After effect of main shock

Upper fill
Lower fill
Creeping of slope?

Basement
(Lignite bed)

Upper part of fill

Changes of
inclination in bore
hole #3 during heavy
rain fall

Middle part of fill

Lower part of fill

Near by bore hole #2

Fourier spectrum of co-seismic changes of

ground inclination

in 31th July 2011

in 1st Jan. 2012

Long time changes of surface inclination of

ground measured by MEMS device

Changes of surface inclination at #1 & #2

Near by the head scarp
(inside of the subsided area)

Central part of the landslide

(near by the bore hole #2)

Rotation movement