News of the Washington State Slope Failure Needed

[oldestguy]

News papers and TV are not giving much that we,as engineers,could use or which may better explain things. Information on past slides and the current one would be of interest to all if it deals with technical causes, etc. Perhaps engineers in the area can comment here.

 

[msquared48]

Glacial till over a clay and bedrock at a location that had been tagged for potential catastrophic failure scenario.

Classic soil structure in this area. Only about 30 miles to the north of me. Also a classic rotational failure where the soil friction at the base of the toe of the slope could not withstand the extra weight of the saturated soil.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[msquared48]

http://news.yahoo.com/fire-chief-death-toll-slide-expected-rise-162642869.html?vp=1

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[cvg]

http://is.gd/yodBQx

 

[oldestguy]

CVG:

Good info there. I see the Washington State DOT web site has two jpg file photo and sketch side by side that CVG's post had. The DOT post has them side by side. I copied both here. Also I found the site on Google and the white areas of an older slide show up well there.

 

[oldestguy]

Guess I can only upload one photo. By going to the DOT site you can overlay the slide photo on a sketch of the overall slide area. Pretty big slide.
What is interesting not far away in the same valley a sand and gravel mining operation is going on, apparently (from my view of Google photos)..

 

[VoyageofDiscovery]

Happens every spring on the West Coast. Zoning bylaws need to revamped!

 

[oldestguy]

here is a jpeg file copied from USGS index WEB site.

The "Mount Higgins" label sits at the slide area. What is interesting are the many past slides from the plateau that is 500 feet high above the valley.

If interested in more detail or a map, go to USGS WEB site and search for Oso, WA. this site is a little east of the town.

 

[oldestguy]

Doing a Google search there is a report of two seismic events , one of which triggered the slide.

Here is the State Geologist giving a news interview on Monday the 24th.

http://www.nwcn.com/video/featured-...he-biggest-landslides-Ive-seen-252051771.html

An interview of a survivor on Fox News today indicates there likely will be a lot more on this legally to come as to lack of warnings.

 

[msquared48]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/29/us/washington-landslide

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[dik]

and the following:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/01/opini...ail&utm_term=0_dabc309806-3440cb75ff-54415721

 

[mariusa]

@oldestguy,

Unrelated to your post, I'm trying to reach you after seeing your comments here. Would you please drop me an email at marius@geotech.pm?
Thanks, Marius