PREVENTION AND

MITIGATION OF MASS
MOVEMENT
Contents
Understanding the
enemy

Prevention, Mitigation
and Protection

Warning Measures
Understanding the enemy
Mass movement

Alternative Title: mass wasting

Mass movement, also called Mass Wasting, this is
where bulk movements of soil and rock debris down
slopes in response to the pull of gravity, or the rapid or
gradual sinking of the Earth’s ground surface in a
vertical direction. Formerly, the term mass wasting
referred to a variety of processes by which large
masses of crustal materials like rocks are moved by
gravity from one place to another. More recently, the
term mass movement has been substituted to include
mass wasting processes and the sinking of confined
areas of the Earth’s ground surface. Mass movements
on slopes and sinking mass are often aided by water
and the significance of both types is the part each plays
in the alteration of landforms.
There’s a lot of factors that contribute to this natural
phenomenon.
Such factors include: 
Weathering or erosional debris cover on slopes, it’s the
slow process of rocks or boulders that start to crack
due to moisture and eventually break, which is usually
liable to mass movement. Weathering contributes to
mass movement because rocks slowly breaking and
becoming more sensitive from a slope continuously
would make the slope thinner and lose stability making
it easy to fall or move down the slope.

Erosion is the movement or displacement of soil or

earth components from one specific area to another
making slopes less thick and could easily break down.
Erosions caused by natural occurrences like wind,
rainfall or storms and even human activities.

Earthquake is a huge contributory factor because when

an earthquake occurs, it slowly breaks down earth
components making a slope more vulnerable and
prone to mass movement; and flowing ground water,
which exerts pressure on soil particles and softens the
slope stability. These factors affecting slope conditions
will often combine with climatic factors such as
precipitation and frost activity to produce downslope
mass movement.

Deforestation, we all know that trees have roots and

those roots doesn’t just suck water for it’s own
beneficial good but it also serves as a foundation for
soil. It holds the soil to keep it together and takes in
most of the water meaning water won’t make the soil
so loose. If trees are cut down, the soil would likely
become mobile and loose making mass movement
more likely to happen.
Image taken from www.gettyimages.org/73839272
Prevention, Mitigation and Protection

Various methods can be used to reduce or protect

people from mass movements. In addition, some
methods stabilize and lessen slope stress and
therefore mitigate mass movements altogether.

Prevention /Mitigation Methods

Terracing
Terracing involves the shaping of slopes into
steps. Therefore when mass movements occur
the waste is captured and accumulates on the
flat steps and impeded from readily sliding or
flowing down the slope.
Afforestation
Trees bind the soil from moving and can also
intercept and slow down mass movements or
earthflows.
Wedging
Wedges are strong walls or objects that
redirects mass movements to other areas. The
main purpose of wedges is to protect a
particular area from mass movements such as
mudflows or avalanches.

Wedges on mountain slope

Geomates
Geomates are grass mates that are embedded
on the surface to avoid excess soil movement
and reduce rain splash impact.
Drainage Observation
By observing drainage patterns and routes,
measures such as stream diversion to restrict
water from vulnerable slope areas or restrict
undercutting of rivers can prevent mass
movements from occuring. Pipes can be
inserted along the slope so that water readily
leave the slope and prevent liquefaction of soil.
Slope Stabilization Methods
These methods involve stabilizing and reducing
stress and strain on the slope and therefore
mitigate mass movements
Afforestation
Trees help to bind the soil together and stabilize
slope movement.
Slope Leveling
Leveling slopes means flattening slopes to
reduce mass movements.
Bolts/Nails
Slopes especially rocky ones can be nailed along
cracks or failure planes to stabilize movements.
Cementing/Shotcrete
Fractures along the slope can be plastered with
cement to stabilize movement.
Protection Methods
Methods to protect people from mass
movements

 Retaining walls on slope foot

 Wire nets on slope base
 Base trenches to capture rock falls
 Wedges to redirect mass movements

Warning Measures

 Springs, seeps, or saturated ground in areas that

have not typically been wet before.
 New cracks or unusual bulges in the ground, street
pavements or sidewalks.
 Soil moving away from foundations.
 Ancillary structures such as decks and patios tilting
and/or moving relative to the main house.
 Tilting or cracking of concrete floors and
foundations.
 Broken water lines and other underground utilities.
 Leaning telephone poles, trees, retaining walls or
fences.
 Offset fence lines.
 Sunken or down-dropped road beds.
 Rapid increase in creek water levels, possibly
accompanied by increased turbidity (soil content).
 Sudden decrease in creek water levels though rain is
still falling or just recently stopped.
 Sticking doors and windows, and visible open spaces
indicating jambs and frames out of plumb.
 A faint rumbling sound that increases in volume is
noticeable as the landslide nears.
 Unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders
knocking together, might indicate moving debris.
From USGS Landslide Hazards