r - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

The 5th Cross-strait Conference on Structural and Geotechnical Engineering (SGE-5)
Hong Kong, China, 13-15 July 2011
THE ZHOUQU DEBRIS FLOW
C. F. Lee
Department of Civil Engineering,
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
ABSTRACT
On August 8, 2010, a major debris flow involving 1.8Mm 3 of materials demolished part of the town of Zhouqu
in southern Gansu Province, resulting in the loss of more than 1,760 lives. The town is located on an alluvial
fan right on the flow path of a creek and hence on the runout path of debris flow in the event of heavy rainfall.
This mountainous area, located at the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, has a long history of
debris flow occurrence, particularly over the past two centuries. This talk will cover the causative mechanism of
the Zhouqu debris flow, and the remedial measures adopted to mitigate future hazards of debris flow occurrence
in the region. It will also present an overview of debris flow hazards and their mitigation in Sichuan, Yunnan,
Gansu and other mountainous parts of China.
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