Simulation of Rainfall Erosion on Slopes of Earthwork Projects in the Loess Plateau
DUAN Yuhui
WU You
SANG Honghui
LI Wenzheng
Abstract：Addressing severe rainfall erosion on excavated slopes in major engineering sites on the Loess Plateau—characterized by management difficulties,challenging vegetation restoration,and recurring erosion—this study utilized 2021 field monitoring data from 14 rainfall events at runoff plots on excavated slopes in the Yangjuangou watershed of Yan′an City.The Water Erosion Prediction Project(WEPP)model was used to simulate slope erosion under different conditions.Results indicated that:Slope erosion initially increased with slope gradient and then decreased,with an extremum corresponding to a critical slope gradient of 56°.The relationship between slope erosion and gradient was exponential at 0°-20° and parabolic(opening downward)above 30°.For short slope lengths(<40 m),the relationship between slope length and erosion was exponential,with an upper limit to the curve of erosion versus slope length.Higher rainfall intensity caused more significant slope erosion,and the erosion volume was linearly correlated with rainfall intensity.The rate of erosion increase was independent of slope gradient but negatively correlated with slope length,though not to a negative extent.Considering practical excavation needs,a slope gradient of approximately 70° and a slope length of around 2 m were recommended.This study provides practical guidance for earthwork operations,erosion control,and ecological restoration of excavated slopes in major engineering sites.
Keywords：Loess Plateauslope erosionWEPP modelearthwork project
Publication Date：2026-02-20
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-27(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 17-21 )