Abstract With its rich lithological variation, upland, lowland and coastal settings, and past climatic changes, the UK presents a wide variety of landslide features that can pose significant hazards to people, construction and infrastructure, or simply add to landscape character and conservation value of an area. This chapter describes and defines the nature and extent of this landsliding; the causes, effects and geological controls on failure; and their mitigation and stabilization. A risk-based approach to landslide management is outlined with qualitative and semi-quantitative methodologies described. Numerous case studies are presented exemplifying landslide and slope stability hazards in the UK.

Abstract Swelling and shrinking soils are soils that can experience large changes in volume due to changes in water content. This may be due to seasonal changes in moisture content, local site changes such as leakage from water supply pipes or drains, changes to surface drainage and landscaping, or following the planting, removal or severe pruning of trees or hedges. These soils represent a significant hazard to structural engineers across the world due to their shrink–swell behaviour, with the cost of mitigation alone running into several billion pounds annually. These soils usually contain some form of clay mineral, such as smectite or vermiculite, and can be found in humid and arid/semi-arid environments where their expansive nature can cause significant damage to properties and infrastructure. This chapter discusses the properties and costs associated with shrink–swell soils, their formation and distribution throughout the UK and the rest of the world, and their geological and geotechnical characterization. It also considers the mechanisms of shrink-swell soils and their behaviour, reviewing strategies for managing them in an engineering context, before finally outlining the problem of trees and shrink–swell soils.

Abstract Old chalk and flint mine workings occur widely across southern and eastern England. Over 3500 mines are recorded in the national Stantec Mining Cavities Database and more are being discovered each year. The oldest flint mines date from the Neolithic period and oldest chalk mines from at least medieval times, possibly Roman times. The most intensive period for mining was during the 1800s, although some mining activities continued into the 1900s. The size, shape and extent of the mines vary considerably with some types only being found in particular areas. They range from crudely excavated bellpits to more extensive pillar-and-stall styles of mining. The mines were created for a series of industrial, building and agricultural purposes. Mining locations were not formally recorded so most are discovered following the collapse of the ground over poorly backfilled shafts and adits. The subsidence activity, often triggered by heavy rainfall or leaking water services, poses a hazard to the built environment and people. Purpose-designed ground investigations are needed to map out the mine workings and carry out follow-on ground stabilization after subsidence events. Where mine workings can be safely entered they can sometimes be stabilized by reinforcement rather than infilling.

Abstract Salt mining along with natural and human-induced salt dissolution affects the ground over Permian and Triassic strata in the UK. In England, subsidence caused by salt mining, brine extraction and natural dissolution is known to have occurred in parts of Cheshire (including Northwich, Nantwich, Middlewich), Stafford, Blackpool, Preesall, Droitwich and Teeside/Middlesbrough; it also occurs around Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland. Subsidence ranges from rapid and catastrophic failure to gentle sagging of the ground, both forms being problematical for development, drainage and the installation of assets and infrastructure such as ground source heat pumps. This paper reviews the areas affected by salt subsidence and details the mitigation measures that have been used; the implications for planning in such areas are also considered.