ABSTRACT
Microstructure transformation in clay soils during the formation and development of flow slides has been studied using the quantitative analysis of SEM images. Peculiarities of the landslide deformations mechanism have been discussed. Investigations confirmed that the soil mass movement (flow) during the development of flow slides in silty and clay soils with the moisture content close to the liquid limit occurs as a relative slipping of separate aggregates and large grains. The sudden changes in the distribution of the different micropores categories in the pore space of soils has been demonstrated at the initial stage of deformations during the preparation of the displacement. Such changes can be considered as one of the prognostic criteria of the slope displacement preparation for the evaluation of landslide hazard.
