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The article discusses the paper on geographical information system (GIS)-based kinematic slope instability and slope mass rating (SMR) maps as an application to a railway route in Sivas, Turkey. It shows the potential use of kinematic stability and SMR maps using a GIS. However, there is a debate on several aspects in the paper about the SMR geomechanical maps elaboration. The paper's authors explained that SMR is a slope geomechanical classification based on Bieniawski's classification. It is believed that the use of continuous slope mass rating instead of original discrete functions for the elaboration of SMR maps can considerably simplify the implementation of SMR through a GIS.

This paper describes the cut slope stability problems of southern engineered slopes along 57 km long Mersin-Tarsus Motorway. While the northern slopes were slipping during and following construction, the stability problems occurred at southern slopes after heavy rains in December 2001. The most recent slope stability problem took place on chainage at the km 10+800 embankment on 9 April 2009. About 3.62 × 10 m soil materials have currently slipped at 60 different location. After the occurrence of slides, different remedial methods (reshaping slopes, soil improvements, etc.) have been applied to stabilize the slipped slopes. The slope stability studies were carried out using back analysis to determine the slope failure mechanisms and to estimate effective shear strength parameters. Pore water pressures increase following intense rainfall events and cause reduced resistance to shear strength at the engineered slopes. In addition, the affects of the static and dynamic parameters to analyse the state of the slope after excavation were investigated and possible remedies to improve the state (toe rockfill and retaining wall) were assessed for motorway slopes through determining the slope stability with water parameter and seismic loading, separately and together. The results of the stability analysis have exhibited that a good drainage system and retaining wall prevents the motorway slope slides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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