Ellen Robson, IHRR seminar series 2022-2023

The Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience final seminar in this series takes place from 1pm to 2pm, room w007, geography building and via Zoom

Online registration essential: register here

Guest speaker: Ellen Robson, Postdoctoral Research Associate, IHRR is presenting "Road slope stability in Nepal"

Abstract:

Roads are critical to the economic and social development of a region. When roads are constructed, they often require excavation into the ground which can result in a road cutting; a slope adjacent to the road which is inclined at a steeper angle than the natural topography. Road cutting failures can be hugely costly and disruptive when slope debris blocks the road and collides with infrastructure. They are most prevalent in regions of hilly topography and those that experience periods of heavy rain. However, natural susceptibility to failure is hugely exacerbated where there is poor design and construction of road cuttings and slope stabilisation (measures or protocol to improve the stability of a slope). This situation is most common in low and lower-middle income countries (LIC/LMICs), such as Nepal, where there can be lack of resources, weak design standards and challenging environments. In this talk, I will discuss my research on trying to gain an understanding of the issues resulting in the poor design of road cuttings in Nepal and the development of practitioner-focused tools to improve the design and planning of stable road cuttings in Nepal and other LIC/LMICs.