BFTS - Engineering geologists' field station to study reservoir landslides

Accurate characterization and assessment of complex landslide behaviors represent a major challenge. The engineering geologist usually relies on analytical solutions, numerical simulation, and model testing for such evaluations. In recent years, in-situ experimental and monitoring platforms have become increasingly popular for studying landslide behaviors; they provide more reliable data and complement traditional evaluation methods. The impoundment of the 660 km long reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam has initiated or reactivated thousands of landslides in the greater reservoir region. To study the long-term landslide behaviors during the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) operation, a field test station, known as the Badong Field Test Site (BFTS), was constructed at the site of the Huangtupo landslide that reactivated in the TGR Area (TGRA). BFTS is an engineering geologist's field station to study landslides, especially those in the TGRA. This article introduces BFTS from multiple perspectives, including its primary purposes, the facilities and research activities at BFTS, the role of BFTS in the prevention and mitigation of landslides in the TGRA, and the educational functions of BFTS.