ATTENTION TO THE SAFETY EVALUATION OF SLOPES DEALT IN THE SITE OF THREE GORGES AREA

Through the safety evaluation of slopes dealt in the site of Three Gorges area, some deformation and failure of protective measures of slopes have occurred caused by soil pressure, fill differential settlement and seepage flow. Design deficiency, quality of construction and unreliable maintenance of the projects afterward are the fundamental causes to the devastation. It is a common situation of the devastation in the Three Gorges area for the protection projects of slopes since most of the processing is the emergent procedures without a strictly unified technical standard during that period. After this safety evaluation, safety classes for each slope project need to be categorized. For unsafe slopes and slopes with part unstable situation need to be applied for remedy with rigorous national standards; and for basically safe slopes and safe slopes, periodical observation is necessary. Furthermore, the previous concept, which emphasizes treatments but neglects maintenance, must be concerned and changed. Maintenance of the projects is critical to exert the functions of measures.