ABSTRACT
A tectonically active area in the mountainous ranges of Betic Cordillera (Granada, Southeast of Spain) is investigated, where frequent landslides of sliding type are recorded. Detailed field studies, including morphological and geological mapping, drilling, in-situ Schmidt test and standard laboratory tests are performed to determine the geotechnical characteristics of the study area. The collected laboratory and in-situ data is then utilized to develop an idealized slope cross-section and subsequent stability analyses are conducted for the landslide area using the Geo-Slope Slope/W software. The factors of safety for the established cross-section are calculated and compared for the following cases under static and dynamic conditions: the slope in its natural state, the slope stabilized with two rows of pre-tensioned anchors and the slope stabilized with a row of piles. It is concluded that the most common stability problems are due to earthquake effects and that the mass movements generally are expected to occur inside the crushed zone between the upper and lower layers, where the residual shear strength parameters play a critical role in this landslide-prone area. Applying two rows of anchors and a row of piles are almost equally effective in increasing the factor of safety. Thus, the selection of either method should be based on economic considerations.
