Rock mass assessment along the right bank of river Sutlej, Luhri, Himachal Pradesh, India

The study involves the characterization of rock mass along the right bank of river Sutlej, Luhri, Himachal Pradesh. This road connects to several important locations and therefore blockage due to slope failure may cause several problems. Lack of proper geotechnical/geological investigations has led to cutting of the natural hill slopes with improper design. The subsequent road cut slope has made this zone highly vulnerable and a threat to local commuters. The concerned area has varying lithology which are highly jointed and exposed all along the road cuts. The unrestrained slope in this zone is prone to recurrent failures due to high precipitation and seismicity, eventually causing loss of life and property. Therefore, the study helps in understanding the behaviour and mode of failure of the cut slope through geometrical relationship between structural discontinuities and surface topography. Several important parameters were determined to quantify the region based on available and widely used rockmass characterization techniques to develop a proper understanding. This will ultimately help in designing appropriate remedial measures to such vulnerable zones that will prevent further slope failure and resulting damage.