Study on the instability condition and landslide mechanism of subgrade slope in Mei–Da Expressway

This paper presents a preliminary investigation of the instability and landslide of a road subgrade slope that occurred on May 1, 2024 along Mei–Da Expressway. The investigation method is on the basis of past investigation results and findings about instability and landslide of road subgrade slopes in Hong Kong. The Mei–Da Expressway subgrade was constructed by cutting and filling on mountainous slopes. The landslide occurred at a fill slope along a gully. The fill soil was excavated from local soil of completely decomposed granite (CDG). The paper tests the particle size distribution and liquid and plastic limits of the three CDG soil samples that were excavated from adjacent natural slopes. It then examines the stability of the fill slope with a simplified geological slope model. It further investigates the catchments before and after the road construction. It then presents a possible mechanism for the slope instability and landslide. The field observations by others can confirm this mechanism. The cutting and filling of the hillside slopes significantly changed the runoff paths of the three natural catchments above the road. The road can intercept the runoff along the three gullies and direct all the runoff into the fill slope. The large volume of rainfall water can erode and liquefy the fills, which can cause the instability and landslide of the road subgrade slope. There is an urgent need to further investigate this mode of road subgrade instability and landslide since it is not uncommon.