EG 837 CE Mountain Risk Engineering (3_I_0)

Model Questions

Any 2 Numerical Questions will be asked (total 45+45 min – 1.5 hours) 15 x 2 = 30 marks

Numerical Questions 1

A road cut along a mountain road in Nepal has the following description:

1. Slope height between the river and the ridge is 200m: the lower 30m under the highway is
sub-vertical but stable. The dry stone riprap located about 10m above the road is seen to be
bulged/moved outward as if pushed outside.
2. The slope is composed of talus deposit. The seismic refraction profile shows that the velocity
of propagation of seismic waves at the flat part is less than half of the same at other parts of
the slope and the flat part of the slope is 20m above the bulged stone riprap and the Slope
angle is 27 degrees.
3. The standpipe piezometers located at the flat part of the slope show that the water table in
the piezometers is recorded only between July and September. The minimum depth at which
of water table recorded is 15m below.
4. The slope monitoring data show that the movement is restricted to the wet season only.
5. The top part of the slope is flat and under paddy cultivation

Analyse the stability of slope and recommend measure for its stabilization.

Numerical Question 2

Analyse the Stability of slope AH 4 at Chainage 72+500 along the Arniko Highway. Please discuss the
slope stabilization measures adopted at AH4.

Numerical Question 3

Discuss the stability of Jure landslide before the event and at the present situation assuming all
parameters including the peak ground acceleration of 0.35g along the slope during a seismic event.
Answer any 5 questions, 18 minutes each and each question carries 6 marks, total 30 marks

1. Compare the elements of risk in highways of the Nepal Himalayas that follow river valleys
with the one that follows the mountain ridges
2. Define mass wasting and compare it with the definition of soil erosion. Discuss most
important elements of mountain hazard in Nepal.
3. Describe the stability problem of Arniko Highway near Balephi bridge and discuss the adopted
solution.
4. Discuss the instability of Arniko highway in general and provide your recommendation for its
stabilization with justification.
5. Discuss “Pahiro in Nepali”. How do you distinguish various types of instabilities called pahiro
in Nepali-describe any 2 of them with examples
6. Discuss the issue of side drains and cross drains in the hill roads of Nepal. Discuss their
appropriateness with your recommendations
7. Discuss manmade causes of mass movements in Nepal. Please provide your solutions in bullet
points
8. Discuss the role of water in mountain hazards of Nepal
9. Discuss the inter-relationship of hazards and risks in the highways in Nepal Himalayas
10. Discuss the inter-relationship of hazards and risks in the designs of canals in Nepal hills
11. Discuss sedimentation of Terai. How do you link it with the development activities in the
nearby hills?
12. Discuss seismicity and associated risks to settlements in Nepal hills
13. Describe mountain Hazard and Risk mapping in the Himalayas.
14. Describe various stages of hazard mapping in Nepal
15. Discuss the main forms of erosion in the Nepal Himalayas. How are they different from the
erosion in the Terai plains of Nepal?
16. Discuss the hazards and risk of building infrastructures in the high Himalayas of Nepal
17. How do you compare the stabilization of Jure Landslide with other slope stabilization
measures along the Arniko Highway?
18. How does hazard and risk mapping varies in different stages of project development from
preliminary feasibility study to preconstruction and during the actual construction of a project
in the midhills of Nepal?
19. Comment on J. H. Howell’s experience in application of bio-engineering in slope stabilization
in Nepal.
20. How do you relate between SMR and RMR? Why is SMR preferred to other types of stability
analysis of rock slopes in the earlier preconstruction stage of infrastructure development?
21. What is Soil Slope Movement Hazard Rating developed by BB Deoja and Thapa, please
describe the method with your comments.
22. Please write a short note on Landslide monitoring in the mid-hills of Nepal