Landslide Risk ManagementGuidelines
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AGS 2007a - Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning
There are a number of natural hazards which are relevant to urban, residential, rural and undeveloped property throughout Australia. These include flooding, bushfire, coastal processes and landslides. This guideline addresses landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk zoning for land use planning.
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AGS 2007b - Commentary on Guideline for Landslide Susceptibility, Hazard and Risk Zoning for Land Use Planning
The definitions in the Guideline are consistent with International Landslides and Geotechnical Engineering practice. Some practitioners in Australia have used the term hazard without including the frequency of landsliding in the definition.
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AGS 2007c - Practice Note Guidelines for Landslide Risk Management 2007
Slope instability occurs in many parts of urban and rural Australia and often impacts on housing, roads, railways and other development. This has been recognised by many local government authorities, and others, and has led to the requirement by many local government councils for stability assessments prior to allowing building development.
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AGS 2007d - Commentary on Practice Note Guidelines for Landslide Risk Management 2007
In 2000 the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) published Landslide Risk Management Concepts and Guidelines (AGS 2000). In 2002 the content and application of AGS (2000) were demonstrated around Australia by the Risky Roadshow which was sponsored by Emergency Management Australia and AGS.
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AGS 2007e - The Australian GeoGuides for Slope Management and Maintenance
The Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) presents on the following pages a guideline on slope management and?maintenance, as part of the landslide risk management guidelines developed under the National Disaster Funding Program (NDMP).
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GeoGuide LR01 - Introduction
The Australian GeoGuides (LR series) are a set of information sheets on the subject of landslide risk management and maintenance, published by the Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS). They provide background information intended to help people without specialist technical knowledge understand the basic issues involved.
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GeoGuide LR02 - Landslides
Any movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth, down a slope, constitutes a landslide. Landslides take many forms, some of which are illustrated. More information can be obtained from Geoscience Australia, or by visiting its Australian Landslide Database.
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GeoGuide LR03 - Landslides in Soil
Landslides occur on soil slopes and the consequences can include damage to property and loss of life. Soil slopes exist in all parts of Australia and can even occur in places where rock outcrops can be seen on the surface. If you live on, or below, a soil slope it is important to understand why a landslide might occur and what you can do to reduce the risk it presents.
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GeoGuide LR04 - Landslides in Rock
Rocks have been formed by many different geological processes and may have been subjected to intense pressure, large scale distortion, extreme temperature and chemical change. As a result there are many different rock types and their condition varies enormously. Rock strength varies and is often significantly reduced by the presence of discontinuities (GeoGuide LR1).
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GeoGuide LR05 - Water & Drainage
One way or another, water usually plays a critical part in initiating a landslide (GeoGuide LR2). For this reason, it is a key factor to be controlled on sites with more than a low landslide risk (GeoGuide LR7).
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GeoGuide LR06 - Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are used to support cuts and fills. Some are built in the open and backfill is placed behind them (gravity walls). Others are inserted into the ground (cast in situ or driven piles) and the ground is subsequently excavated on one side.
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GeoGuide LR07 - Landslide Risk
Risk is a familiar term, but what does it really mean? It can be defined as “a measure of the probability and severity of an adverse effect to health, property, or the environment.”
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GeoGuide LR08 - Construction Practice
Sensible development practices are required when building on hillsides, particularly if the hillside has more than a low risk of instability (GeoGuide LR7). Only building techniques intended to maintain, or reduce, the overall level of landslide risk should be considered. Examples of good hillside construction practice are illustrated below.
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GeoGuide LR09 - Effluent and Surface Water Disposal
All households generate effluent and wastewater. The disposal of these products and their impact on the environment are key considerations in the planning of safe and sustainable communities. Cities and townships generally have reticulated water, sewer and stormwater systems, which are designed to deliver water and dispose of effluent and wastewater with minimal impact on the environment. However, many smaller communities and metropolitan fringe suburbs throughout Australia are un-sewered. Some of these are located in hillside or coastal settings where landslides present a hazard.
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GeoGuide LR10 Coastal Landslides
The coast presents a particularly dynamic environment where change is often the norm. Hazards exist in relation to both cliffs and sand dunes. The coast is also the most heavily populated part of Australia and always regarded as prime real estate, because of the views and access to waterways and beaches.
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GeoGuide LR11 - Record Keeping
It is strongly recommended that records be kept of all construction, inspection and maintenance activities in relation to developments on sloping blocks. In some local authority jurisdictions, maintenance requirements form part of the building consent conditions, in which case they are mandatory.
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