THE MYTH IN SLOPE SAFETY: Part 1

1) The site investigation (SI) indicate that the slope is safe.

In reality, the result of site investigation only reveal the soil properties in details, but not as a firm assurance for the safety of the slope. A geotechnical engineer must perform a complete analysis by using the site investigation's result to derive the factor of safety (F.O.S). A good judgement from an engineer also vital before finalizing the F.O.S. The slope composition and geology can be extremely varies even at a near distance. Geology information, soil classification and properties play a prime role in determine the slope stability.

2) Heavy downpour resulted to slope failure

For a layman, it is logical for the slope to fail during heavy rainfall. As to engineer, continuous downpour will increase the water table and hence diminishing the F.O.S of the slopes. A minimum F.O.S is within 1.2 to 1.4, depending on the risk values to human and economy. In Malaysia, the minimum acceptable F.O.S is 1.5.

3) Soil erosion will not caused the landslide

Soil erosion will increase the possibility of landslides. A small landslip will grow larger if no immediate action is taken. As the process continues, the slope will be unstable and landslide shall occur.

(Source: Dr. Gue See Sew, G&P Professional Sdn. Bhd)

Comments

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE) VS PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WITH PRACTISING CERTIFICATE (PEPC)

Back then in 2015, there were some, well sort of uproars in regard to restriction of “Engr.” abbreviation before the graduate engineers’ name. The privilege of “Engr.” originated under the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) and definitely became as the beacon for engineering graduates to submit their membership registration. The restriction was due to the Board of Engineers Malaysia ( BEM) argument that such abbreviation will be misconstrued by the publics as “Professional Engineer”. Professional Engineer is the highest testament for any engineers in Malaysia in pursuing their career or establishing their own consultancy practice. Since its inception, the primary goal of having the Professional Engineer “licensure” is to provide engineering services in full-scale and in accordance to Engineer’s Act 1967. In 2015, the Engineer’s Act 1967 was amended to enhance the quality of engineers and in quest for the liberalisation of engineering services. The action has resulted t

The Use of Cascading Drain to Collect Runoff From Slope

Courtesy of THB Maintenance Sdn Bhd In tropical regions with rainfall stands as the crucial factors to starting the landslide mechanism, a proper surface drainage is important to avert any unwanted incidents. I only focusing on the surface runoff and the role of cascading drain to channel the runoff safely to designated discharged point. A rainfall on a steep slopes will run as surface runoff with lower probability for the water to infiltrate into the soil. This necessitate the introduction of cascading drain to collect the water from the berm or slope drain. The design of cascading drain is basically allowing the hydraulic jump, an abrupt changes from supercritical to subcritical flow that will reduce the water flow rate and act as an energy dissipater. The effectiveness of hydraulic jump depends on the input of the rainfall volumes and flow rate in which failure to do so will resulted to flood and nuisance to the public. ...

Professional Competency Examination: My Story

When I originally considered taking the Professional Competency Examination (PCE), I wasn't sure if it was the best choice for me because of the vast syllabus covered. The list goes on. PCE is Malaysia's second-tier examination for professional qualification to become a registered Professional Engineer With a Practising Certificate. The test consists of two examinations, Common Paper and Technical Paper, each of which lasts around three hours. However, if you believe that your years of experience will benefit you in this exam, think again. Unlike the first tier, which emphasises accumulated experience and report preparation, this time you must thoroughly research the topics — similar to the college level of education you had — and come up with a good answer for the multiple-choice questions and essays. In contrast to undergraduate exams, which are presented in several papers throughout the semester, these exams are delivered in two papers and represent a considerable differenc

Typical Engineer Story

Search This Blog