Regional road network resilience using landslide susceptibility model

Nitheesh K
Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, India

Abhijith A
Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, India

Dr Rakesh J Pillai
Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, India

The lack of a reliable landslide susceptibility map in the Western Ghats has led to poor quantification of risk associated with rainfall-induced landslides to the road networks, as these macro-level susceptibility maps fail to consider the geotechnical characteristics of the overlying soil. The study introduces a framework to improve susceptibility mapping by performing probabilistic slope stability analysis, using different simulation techniques. In addition, optimization techniques are also incorporated, to determine the location of probe points in an optimal manner, thus improving the resilience and recovery of road networks. This would eventually lead to better mitigation plans and evacuation strategies, during such incidents.