Physical modeling of landslides using scaled landslide models began in the 1970s in Japan at scaled natural slope physical models. Laboratory experiments of landslide behavior in scaled physical models (also known as flume or flume test) started in the 1980s and 1990s in Canada, Japan, and Australia under 1 g conditions. The main purpose of the landslide physical modeling in the last 25 years was research of initiation, motion, and accumulation of fast flow-like landslides caused by infiltration of water in a slope. In October 2018, at the Faculty of Civil Engineering University of Rijeka, started a four-year research project “Physical modeling of landslide remediation constructions’ behavior under static and seismic actions” funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. This paper presents an overview of the methods and monitoring equipment used in the physical models of a sandy slope exposed to artificial rainfall. Landslide development was monitored by observation of volumetric water content and acceleration as well as by observations of surface displacement by means of high-speed stereo cameras, terrestrial laser scanning, and structure-from-motion photogrammetry. Some of the preliminary results of the initial series of experiments are presented, and advantages and disadvantages of the used equipment are discussed.

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Effect of aggregate grading on pervious concrete propertiesFresh and hardened pervious concrete properties are experimentally determined in the paper. The correlation between the compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, flow coefficient, and aggregate grading is analysed. As there is no approved method for determining the flow of water through pervious concrete, the testing was conducted in accordance with the already known methods, but using own apparatus. Optimum strength and flow capacity results were obtained on gap graded samples with the 0-2 mm sand content of less than 15 %. Utjecaj granulometrijskog sastava na svojstva procjednog betona U radu su eksperimentalno određena svojstva svježeg i očvrsnulog procjednog betona. Analizirana je zavisnost tlačne čvrstoće, vlačne čvrstoće savijanjem te koeficijenta protočnosti o granulometrijskom sastavu agregata. Budući da ne postoji propisani način određivanja protjecanja vode kroz procjedni beton, ispitivanje je provedeno sukladno poznatim metodama, ali s pomoću samostalno izrađenih pomagala. Na uzorcima s diskontinuiranom granulometrijskom krivuljom, gdje udio frakcije pijeska 0-2 mm u sastavu mješavina nije prelazio 15 %, dobiveni su optimalni rezultati čvrstoće i protočnosti. Einfluss der Kornzusammensetzung auf die Eigenschaften durchlässigen BetonsIn dieser Arbeit sind Eigenschaften frischen und gehärteten durchlässigen Betons durch experimentelle Versuche ermittelt worden. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Druckfestigkeit, Biegezugfestigkeit, Durchflusskoeffizient und Gesteinskörnung ist analysiert worden. Da kein bestimmtes Verfahren zur Ermittlung des Wasserflusses durch durchlässigen Beton vorgeschrieben ist, sind in den Versuchen bekannte Vorgehensweisen mittels der eigenen Ausrüstung angewandt worden. Optimale Resultate in Bezug auf Festigkeit und Durchlässigkeit sind an Proben mit diskontinuierlichen Sieblinen erzielt worden, die einen 0-2 mm Sandkorngehalt unter 15 % nachweisen. Schlüsselwörter:durchlässiger Beton, Festigkeit, Gesteinskörnung, Durchflusskoeffizient

This paper presents some of the results and experiences in monitoring the hydraulic response of downscaled slope models under simulated rainfall in 1 g. The downscaled slope model platform was developed as part of a four-year research project, “Physical modeling of landslide remediation constructions’ behavior under static and seismic actions”, and its main components are briefly described with the particular focus on the sensor network that allows monitoring changes in soil moisture and pore-water pressure (pwp). The technical characteristics of the sensors and the measurement methods used to provide the metrics are described in detail. Some data on the hydraulic and mechanical responses obtained from the conducted tests on slope models built from different soil types under different test conditions are presented and interpreted in the context of rainfall-induced landslides. The results show that the sensor network used is suitable for monitoring changes in the soil moisture and pwp in the model, both in terms of the transient rainfall infiltration through partially saturated soil and in terms of the rise in the water table and pwp build-up under fully saturated conditions. It is shown how simultaneous monitoring of soil moisture and pwp can be used to reconstruct stress paths that the monitored points undergo during different test phases. Finally, some peculiarities related to hydraulic hysteresis and surface erosion that were observed in some of tests are discussed, as well as possible difficulties in achieving and maintaining the targeted initial moisture distribution in slope models.

Rocking stability of a rigid prismatic block standing on a rigid base subject to a simple harmonic acceleration function is still an important dynamics problem, in which energy loss is often not treated accurately enough. The energy loss at impacts during rocking is here examined. The stability for various slendernesses and sizes of a rocking block is assessed numerically, where an improved coefficient capable of estimating the size effect is considered. A number of relevant cases are validated experimentally, with a specially designed set of well-controlled and documented rocking benchmark tests on a shaking table system.