Study of preexisting shear surfaces of reactivated landslides from a strength recovery perspective

Residual shear strength is generally considered in the design of preventive measures for slopes consisting of preexisting shear surfaces of large-scale landslides. Recent research suggests that the preexisting shear surface of a reactivated landslide can regain strength with the passage of time, which might also be considered in designing the slope stability measures. In this study, three reactivated landslide soils were tested in a ring shear apparatus for the discontinued shear periods of 1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days with the following main objectives: (i) to understand the strength recovery behavior of landslide soils in a residual state of shear after as long as 30 days of discontinued shear, (ii) to understand the comparative pattern of strength recovery in highly plastic and less plastic soils, and (iii) to understand the mechanism involved in strength recovery at a residual state of shear. The results indicate that recovered strength measured in the laboratory is hardly noticeable after a rest period of 3 days, but recovered strength is lost after a small shear displacement. This paper primarily focuses on the effect of strength recovery from residual strength on preexisting shear surface soils and the mechanisms behind it.