Civil Engineering Photos

Photo Credit: Jessie Benaglio

Pictured above is a landslide. Landslides occur when the stability of a slope changes from a stable to an unstable condition. Some natural causes for a landslide are groundwater pressure acting to destabilize the slope, earthquakes, or weakening of a slope from saturation with water. The water source originates from snow or glacier melt or heavy rains. Human activities can also form landslides from vibrations induced by machinery or traffic, blasting, or other construction activities.

Photo Credit: Nathan Shoemaker

Pictured above is the cleanup of a roadway after a landslide. This particular landslide was caused by heavy rains and steep cuts in the soil material in concert with a relatively weak soil. You can see the head-scarp, the area where the failure beginnings, is clearly distinguishable.