Passive “floating” composite anchors for the gradual stabilization of a landslide

The annual frequency of landslide in the North-Eastern Italy is very high due to the hydro-geological conditions of this area. These phenomena often lead to severe damages or even destruction of residential and transport infrastructures with effect on economic development of mountain areas. The search for cost-effective solutions for risk mitigation and slope stabilization becomes fundamental. The paper deals with the application of an innovative technique for landslide stabilization with reinforcements, developed as an improvement of Soil Nailing. The method, named floating composite anchors, consists in the installation in the slope of special passive sub-horizontal reinforcements, obtained by coupling a traditional self-drilling bar with some tendons. After a brief overview on the main technical aspects, the paper presents the application of this new method to a slow-moving landslide occurred in 2010. Two proposal for increasing the slope stability in this site are analyzed with a 3D finite element model, considering floating composite anchors installed in different geometries and various seepage conditions. SCG-XIII INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON LANDSLIDES. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIAJUNE 15th-19th-2020