Utilization of Landslide-Derived Materials as Sustainable Geomaterials for Civil Engineering Applications: A Critical Review

Abstract

Landslides are among the most frequent geohazards affecting mountainous and hilly regions, particularly in the Himalayan and North-Eastern regions of India. In addition to causing loss of life, damage to infrastructure and disruption of transportation networks, landslides generate substantial quantities of displaced soil, weathered rock, gravel, boulders, sand and fine-grained materials. These materials are commonly treated as waste and are removed from affected locations and disposed of along roadsides, river channels, low-lying areas or designated dumping sites. Such practices may create secondary environmental problems, including blockage of drainage systems, river sedimentation, degradation of agricultural land, landscape disturbance and increased transportation-related emissions. At the same time, the construction sector requires enormous quantities of natural soil and aggregates for road construction, embankments, backfilling and other geotechnical works. This situation provides an opportunity to convert landslide-derived materials from a post-disaster waste stream into a locally available construction resource. The present paper critically examines the potential utilisation of landslide-derived waste as a sustainable geomaterial for civil engineering applications. The proposed framework considers the identification, collection, segregation, processing, characterisation and engineering utilisation of landslide materials. Potential applications include road embankment construction, subgrade and sub-base layers, backfilling behind retaining structures, structural fill, slope regrading, drainage layers, erosion-control works and selected concrete or pavement applications where the material satisfies relevant technical requirements A circular-economy-based management framework is proposed in which suitable landslide materials are recovered and reused near the source, thereby reducing dependence on virgin aggregates and minimising disposal requirements. However, direct reuse without adequate geotechnical and environmental assessment may introduce risks related to variability, contamination, excessive fines, poor drainage and long-term instability. Therefore, material-specific classification and application-specific performance criteria are essential. The study concludes that systematic utilisation of landslide-derived waste has considerable potential to reduce disposal burdens, conserve natural resources and support sustainable infrastructure development in mountainous regions. Further experimental investigation, field trials, life-cycle assessment and development of standardised acceptance criteria are recommended for large-scale implementation.