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Ocean Engineering
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MARK
a
A R T I C L E I N F O
A BS T RAC T
Keywords:
Hydroplaning
Debris ow
Submarine slopes
Geotechnical centrifuge
A study of landslides on gentle submarine slopes with varied water content levels is presented here. The
simulations were carried out in a beam geotechnical centrifuge submitting the model to an acceleration of 40
times earth's gravity. The simulations aim to determine which parameters inuence the occurrence of the
hydroplaning phenomenon and if these can be properly simulated in centrifuge physical modeling, since most
studies described in the literature have been carried out in an environment of normal earth's gravity. The
analyses presented here are based on measurements of total stresses and pore pressure in dierent points in the
model. Besides, video images and parameters such as the densimetric Froude number are also used to assess
whether the hydroplaning phenomenon has eectively occurred any of the tests performed.
1. Introduction
The occurrence of landslides can be a serious threat to oshore
installations such as wells, rigs, pipelines and communications cables,
among others underwater structures. Therefore, in order to assure safety
operation conditions for structures resting on seabed, it is mister not only
to nd the trigger mechanisms, but also the running path of the debris,
which is generally associated with hydroplaning phenomena.
Submarine landslide initiates when sliding material mixes with the
water and becomes debris ow. This mixture of water and clay nely
ground in an aqueous environment gradually develops to a turbidity
current, which is characterized by turbulent ow. Submarine landslides
and debris ows are highly mobile and can travel distances of hundreds
of kilometers down gentle slopes (Locat, 2002; De Blasio et al., 2004).
These great distances seem to be facilitated by the presence of a thin
layer of slurry, which signicantly increases debris mobility.
Naturally stable slopes may become unstable due to the action of
one or more dierent mechanisms, such as earthquakes and tectonic
activities, gas hydrates, ocean waves and human activities (Lee et al.,
2004; Feeley, 2007), earthquakes being considered the main cause
(Hance, 2003). Many experimental and numerical studies suggest that
hydroplaning is the main cause of high mobility in landslides on gentle
slopes (Mohrig et al., 1998; Harbitz et al., 2003; Barker, 1998; Zhao,
2014). Hu (2007) has developed a numerical model to simulate
submarine sliding using a "block model" principle in order to study
the mechanisms of hydroplaning, taking into account complex inter-
action between sliding block and the surrounding uid. The author has
numerically simulated small scale tests and an actual slide (Storegga
Slide), with excellent results for both.
It is important to note that most previous experimental studies have
been carried out in 1g models (Marr et al., 2001), thus they may not be
representative of real landslides as the stress-strain behavior and gravity
eects are better modeled using the principles of centrifuge modeling
(Taylor, 1995; Madabhushi, 2015; Boylan et al., 2010; Chi, 2011); Gue
et al. (2010) performed a series of submarine slope landslides tests in
centrifuge, and concluded, also based on numerical modeling, that the
correct scaling law for ow distance is determined by
dp=N 3*d m
(1)
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: saboya@uenf.br (F. Saboya).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2016.10.047
Received 8 June 2016; Received in revised form 24 October 2016; Accepted 25 October 2016
Available online 05 November 2016
0029-8018/ 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
g
Frd
w
wL
wP:
IP
N
Nomenclature
uid stagnation pressure
water mass density
frontal velocity of the ow
soil density
average sliding thickness
slope angle
pf
w
vf
ha
pf =
acceleration of gravity
densimetric Froude number
slurry water content level
liquid limit
plasticity limit
plasticity Index
acceleration level
pd =(d w) ghacos
w vf2
(2)
(3)
where d is the soil density and g is the acceleration of gravity. The term
ha represents the landslide's average thickness and is the slope angle.
There are some conditions to hydroplaning to occur, and it is worth
to mention them in a separate way for clarifying purposes.
where w is the water mass density and vf is the frontal velocity of the
sliding mass.
The excess of pore water pressure which takes place during the
mass movement develops from the stagnation point s to the sliding
surface in point A, as shown in Fig. 1. The point where hydroplaning
begins is represented by A.
pf
Frd = 2
pd
(4)
Fig. 2. Representation of stress patterns observed in 1 g mudow tests (Ilstad et al., 2004a).
452
Fig. 4. Centrifuge model and instrumentation adopted. (a) Aluminum box and centrifuge model, (b) Model set up and instruments positions.
453
Table 1
Index tests of the sediments tested.
Test
% of Sand
% of Clay
W (%)
WL (%)
IP (%)
A
B
C
0
20
20
100
80
80
59.8
48.3
72.4
59.8
48.3
46.7
21.4
19.0
19.0
3.2. Instrumentation
The instrumentation consisted of EPL total stress cells and EPB
pore pressure transducers (PPTs) installed at the base of the test box,
both manufactured by Measurement Specialties Ltd. The tests were
carried out with six lines of instrumentation, each line comprising a
pair of transducers to monitor the changes in pore pressure and total
stress above the surface of the seabed during the landslide. Fig. 4 shows
a visual representation of the testing layout and the compartments
made inside the container and the instrumentation location.
454
images obtained for test A from the moment in which the trapdoor is
opened until the moment in which the sliding material reaches the end
of the ramp. It can be observed that the sediments spread both laterally
and down the test box. Even so, a lifting of the frontal portion of the
debris ow can be observed with water penetrating under the debris
head and, consequently, leading to the formation of hydroplaning.
Results of test B presented in Fig. 6 show that the sliding does not
reach the end of the ramp, although a turbidity stream condition
(elutriation) is generated. Fig. 7 shows the results for test C where a
sliding mass was poured at water content corresponding to 1.5 times
the state of liquid limit. It can be seen the mass ows initially dense
followed by a suspension stream at the end of the ramp.
By roughly analyzing the running time of three tests, it is clear that
test B, which did not reach the end of the ramp, has own much slower
than tests A and C. Tests A and C have shown similar sliding velocities,
but test C was slightly faster than test A.
Table 2
Test results.
Test
Mud
density
d (kN/
m)
Fluid
stagnation
pressure pf
(kPa). Eq. (2)
Debris flow
pressure pd
(kPa) Eq.
(3)
Densimetric
Froude number
Frd Eq. (4)
Hydroplaning
A
B
C
16.72
17.33
15.68
2958.6
10.2
1383.6
18.43
17.06
17.65
0.44
0.03
0.31
Yes
No
Yes
4. Test results
As mentioned before, the literature presents dierent parameters to
be analyzed in order to determine the occurrence of the hydroplaning
phenomenon. Hereafter each of these parameters will be analyzed for
the performed tests in order to nd out if hydroplaning actually
occurred.
4.1. Image analysis
100
96
Test A-P1
Total Stress
Pore pressure
Effective Stress
92
90
Stress (kPa)
92
88
84
88
86
80
5
0
-5
500
-5
505
510
515
520
525
530
535
540
545
550
-10
500
555
505
510
515
520
96
Test A-P5
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
94
92
90
88
86
0
-5
-10
500
525
530
Time (ms)
Time (ms)
Stress (kPa)
Stress (kPa)
Test A-P3
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
94
505
510
515
520
525
530
535
540
545
550
555
Time (ms)
Fig. 8. Total stress, eective stress and pore pressure behavior for test A.
455
535
540
545
550
555
Test B-P1
104
94
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
100
92
90
92
Stress (kPa)
Stress (kPa)
96
Test B-P2
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
88
84
88
86
80
84
10
5
0
-5
-10
5
0
-5
-10
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
60
70
80
90
Time (ms)
Test B-P4
94
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
92
120
130
140
120
130
140
92
88
Stress (Kpa)
Stress (kPa)
110
Test B-P5
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
96
90
88
86
84
84
10
5
0
5
0
-5
-5
-10
-10
100
Time (ms)
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
Time (ms)
-15
60
70
80
90
100
110
Time (ms)
Fig. 9. Total stress, eective stress and pore pressure behavior for test B.
96
94
96
Test C-P1
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
94
92
Test C-P2
92
Stress (kPa)
90
Stress (kPa)
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
88
86
84
82
90
88
86
80
5
0
-5
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
-5
130
200
140
150
102
100
94
98
92
96
Stress (kPa)
Stress (kPa)
96
Test C-P4
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
90
88
180
190
200
Test C-P6
Total Stress
Pore Pressure
Effective Stress
94
92
90
86
0
-5
130
170
Time (ms)
Time (ms)
98
160
-5
140
150
160
170
180
190
-10
130
200
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
Time (ms)
Time (ms)
Fig. 10. Total stress, eective stress and pore pressure behavior for test C.
Table3
Summary of the results obtained for the determination of hydroplaning.
Conditions for the occurrence of
hydroplaning
Test A
Test B
Test C
Yes
No
Yes
Yes (see
Fig. 5)
No (see
Fig. 6)
No (see
Fig. 7)
Acknowlegdemnt
Yes
No
Yes
Yes (see
Fig. 8)
No (see
Fig. 9)
Yes (see
Fig. 10)
6. Conclusions
The concept of hydroplaning oers an explanation for the mobility
of debris ows in gentle slopes. The phenomenon is characterized by
the presence of a thin layer of slurry which signicantly increases
debris mobility, thus increasing pore pressure, reducing eective stress
and, consequently, reducing the sliding debris ow's shear resistance.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the fact that the water content
level has an inuence on the formation of hydroplaning, altering the
457
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458