Abstract
The Bam, Iran, earthquake caused ground failure in several locations in and around Bam and Baravat, including collapse of existing qanats (traditional underground irrigation tunnels), local soil block falls, and landslides. However, no evidence of liquefaction was observed in the area. Ground failures were located and characterized during the site investigations carried out a few days after the earthquake. In addition, aerial photos taken two days after the event were evaluated and digitized in GIS. Based on these studies, land subsidence due to collapse of qanats, local toppling, and sliding of soil blocks were mapped. Instabilities of qanats were evaluated using 2-D and 3-D models, and the results were compared with existing conditions. Good agreement was observed between the results of the numerical modeling and condition of the qanats.
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