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William E. Davies

Publications and source records attributed to William E. Davies.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1975

Landsliding in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Man should proceed with caution if modifications such as loading, excavation, or changes of the water regime are contemplated for slopes in Allegheny County, especially those slopes described on the map as highly sensitive to disturbance by man. Features indicative of unstable slope conditions include: cracks in buildings, yard walls, and pools; doors and windows that jam; fences and other linear features bowed out of line; tilted trees and utility poles; cracks and steplike ground features; hummocky ground; and water seeps. Geologic factors related to the landsliding process include rock types, layering, fracturing, and attitude; nature of soil cover; permeability of rocks and soils; and steepness of slope.

Circular↗
USGS1973

The landslide at Cumberland, Harlan County, Kentucky

A landslide developed on Sanctified Hill, on the east side of Cumberland, Kentucky on December 10, 1972. Since then the slide has rendered 17 dwellings and a church unusable. The slide is in a shallow amphitheater, on plastic sandy clay up to 30 feet thick, lying on top of sandstone and shale (Norton Formation). The bedrock dips 22° south, the same direction as the slope of the hill. The slide is a rotational slump 600 feet long and 500 feet wide at the toe. Movement is in the order of 10 feet downslope. The ground in the area of the slide is wet with natural seepage along the bedrock surface of about 1/2 cubic foot per minute for every 40 feet of bedrock exposure. Leakage from water mains, added to the ground water, is the probable triggering mechanism of the slide. The slide does not pose an immediate further danger unless an abnormally heavy rainfall were to occur. The slide has developed to the point where stabilization is not economically practicable. Relocation of homes appears to be the most suitable solution to the problem.

Kentucky↗