Experimental study on accumulation layer landslides based on thermosensitive materials

Abstract This study developed a thermosensitive shear zone material composed of paraffin‐quartz sand‐clay composites. By constructing artificial shear zones with this material and selectively activating embedded electric heating plates to generate localized shear strength reduction, experimental simulations of both retrogressive and translational landslides are achieved. The results demonstrate that the mechanical parameters of this material exhibit temperature‐dependent degradation: cohesion ( c ) follows a negative exponential decay with temperature increase, while the internal friction angle ( φ ) decreases linearly. The thermally induced shear strength reduction progressively diminishes the anti‐sliding capacity of slip surfaces, ultimately triggering gravity‐driven landslide deformation and failure. During testing, tensile cracks initiated at the slope rear edge, with internal deformations dominated by extensional mechanisms. PIV displacement monitoring revealed steep displacement gradient transitions spatially coinciding with tensile crack development. For translational landslides, earth pressure variations in shallow, mid‐depth and deep zones displayed synchronized reduction patterns throughout deformation. In contrast, retrogressive landslides exhibited distinct phase differences in earth pressure evolution across depth zones, with the frontal slope's traction effect on the rear being substantially weaker than that of the central part. This research establishes an innovative methodology for simulating landslide disasters through controlled internal weakening of shear zones, which may provide new insights into failure mechanisms and prediction techniques driven by shear strength deterioration.