Experimental study on shear strength of rocks from Donghekou landslide in Qingchuan County, Sichuan Province, China

Donghekou landslide, a typical landslide located in Qingchuan County triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, with high speed and long run-out, caused more than 780 deaths. This landslide is mainly composed of Sinian limestone and Cambrian carbon slate and phyllite. After the earthquake, we investigated this landslide and collected representative rock samples. By using the 60t Hydraulic Universal Testing Machine, a series of tests had been carried out to study the mechanical properties of rocks from Donghekou landslide and significant conclusions were obtained. It’s indicated by the test results that water is an important factor for the mechanical properties of rocks, and the shear strength is quite different when in the dried status than in saturated status. Moreover, the structural surface is also critical, which can be a controlling condition for rock landslide stability.