Report No. : GEO Report No. 172

Report Title : Review of Landslides in 2002 (2005), 48 p.

Author : T.H.H. Hui, T.T.M. Lam & H.W. Sun

Abstract

This report presents the findings of a detailed diagnostic review of landslides in 2002 that were reported to the Geotechnical Enineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering Department. The diagnosis forms part of GEO's systematic landslide investigation programme which was introduced following the 23 July 1994 Kwun Lung Lau landslide. The aims of this report are to review the performance of the Government's slope safety system and identify areas for improvement to enhance slope engineering practice.

Altogether 138 genuine landslides were reported to Government in 2002. All the available landslide data were examined and 18 landslide incidents were selected for follow-up study under the landslide investigation programme. These studies provided information and insight into the types and mechanisms of landslides and facilitated the identification of areas deserving attention and improvement.

Based on the landslide data in 2002, there were no sizeable landslides (i.e. failure volume of greater than or equal to 50 m³) on engineered man-made slopes that had been accepted under the slope safety system. The annual failure rate of small-scale landslides (i.e. failure volume of < 50 m³) on engineered man-made slopes was 0.05% on a slope number basis (i.e. the number of landslides relative to the total number of slopes of this status).

Overall, about 99.95% of the engineered man-made slopes performed satisfactorily without occurrence of any reported landslides in 2002 and none of them had any sizeable landslides.

Recommendations for further improvement of the slope safety system and slope engineering practice in Hong Kong are given in this report.

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