Landslides and engineered slopes. From the past to the future. Volume 1 / Оползни и искусственные склоны. Из прошлого в будущее. Том 1

The city of Xi’an, China is privileged to have the honor of hosting the 10th International Symposium on Landslides and Engineered Slopes, following its predecessors: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2004; Cardiff, U.K., 2000; Trondheim, Norway, 1996; Christchurch, New Zealand, 1992; Lausanne, Switzerland, 1988; Toronto, Canada, 1984; New Delhi, India, 1980; Tokyo, Japan, 1977; and Kyoto, Japan, 1972. China is one of the countries in the world that suffer severely from landslide hazards. Statistics have shown that every year 700 to 900 people are killed by landslides. With the large scale infrastructure construction, failures of engineered slopes are increasing, and have become a serious concern of the government, various enterprises and technical societies. The Chinese geological and geotechnical communities look forward to this unique opportunity of exchanging and sharing technical know-how and experience of combating landslides disasters with our international peers.
Xi’an is a historical city of China. It has been the capital for China’s twelve dynasties, spanning over 1200 years, and was a starting point of the famous Silk Road. It is a nice place for participants from all over the world to meet and review our past experience, and in the meanwhile, look forward to a productive future against landslides and slope failures.
From this book, readers will find that there are 7 Symposium Themes, as allocated by the Steering Committee, including 13 keynote and special papers. At the JTC1 meeting held at the 9th Symposium, it was decided that a special session entitled ‘China Afternoon’ would be organized, whose papers are arranged under a separate theme ’Landslides and Engineered Slopes in China’ in this Proceedings. This symposium was jointly organized by the Chinese Institution of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering-CCES, Chinese National Commission on Engineering Geology, Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, and the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. The Organizing Committee is grateful to the reviewers for reviewing more than 300 submitted papers. It is practically impossible to list the large number of these volunteers here. However, their contributions must be fully acknowledged, without which the quality of this book would not have been maintained. Special thanks also go to the members of JTC1 for their constant attention and useful comments during the preparation of this symposium. <...>