Debris Flow Hazard Identification and Monitoring

Details

• Creators:
  Dutta, Tanmoy ; Ghazanfari, Ehsan ; Lens, John E.
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Vermont
• Corporate Contributors:
  Vermont Agency of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Landslides
  • Mapping
  • Monitoring
  • Risk assessment
  • Strategic planning
  • Debris flows
  • Detection and identification
  • Costs
  • Transportation safety
  • Stability analysis
• Publication/ Report Number:
  2026-07
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Vermont
• Edition:
  Final report: 2024-2026
• Corporate Publisher:
  Vermont Agency of Transportation
• Description:
  Over the past few years, considerable roadway damage has occurred in Vermont due to intense precipitation, leading to upslope landslides and debris flows (mixtures of boulders, trees and slurries) spilling onto roadways. Although landslide occurrence has a long history in the State, the debris flow phenomenon addressed in this work is relatively new to Vermont and needs further attention. The work is focused on non-channelized debris flows, that is, debris flows not specifically associated with gullies and channels developed through fluvial processes. Identifying areas susceptible to such debris flows and monitoring of these areas will facilitate asset management, improve roadway safety, potentially reduce the need for emergency road closures and help reduce long-term costs associated with repeated emergency responses. The susceptibility to debris flow is influenced by several factors such as slope angle, slope materials and rainfall intensity. The key outcome of this study was to create a map identifying high-hazard areas (susceptible to debris flow) for awareness, asset management and monitoring. We considered rainfall as the triggering factor to initiate debris flow and merged rainfall data with topographic and soil parameter data to produce a debris flow factor of safety map for a study area comprised of a 152 m (500 ft) buffer zone on either side of national and state routes. Three factor of safety groupings categorize the terrain in the buffer zone into stable, marginally unstable, and unstable, and thereby the debris flow potential in the design rainfall triggering scenario.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  GR#1892
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/94033/dot_94033_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.60 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ef2c6438fe91fb22c4cbe03e9d28b06c5e45e404dcb1793b397eed9d83cc0ec5faecc6cc5a175e1391cfa151a82b7a44395fee25b29f9cd52cd3371abf528c72