New strategies for the structural mitigation of landslides considering cost-sustainability

In most developed countries the budget devoted to structural risk mitigation of natural hazards such as floods and landslide is reducing. On top of that, mitigation structures constructed decades ago require some maintenance that it is seldom guaranteed since they are widespread in all the territory and inspections are infrequent. In some cases, the cost correlated with the engineering activities could be compensated through the association of works that provide economic return on the long term. The case study consists of a slope instability phenomenon crossed by a National Road that connects the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Due to the risk conditions the phenomenon has been investigated and monitored for more than 15 years. The landslide is crossed by a torrent and near the crown of the instability phenomenon some springs are present. The opportunity to use the water removed from the slope to produce energy through a small hydropower plant could help sustain economically the remediation project.