Abstract: The physical model test is an effective method for landslide and its anti-slide structure research. The application of infrared thermal imager to landslide physical model test is based on infrared detection and thermal imaging principle. With the infrared thermal imager, the surface temperature of the landslide model can be effectively, accurately and real-timely detected and recorded, which helps to analyze the temperature field variation of the anti-slide pile area and study of the effect of anti-slide pile soil aching from the angle of energy. The experimental results reflect the distribution of temperature field in the anti-slide pile area, prove the existence of the soil arch effect from the temperature field, and reveal the process and mechanism of soil arch formation; Anti-slide pile effectively prevent the landslide thrust expand to the front of the pile, and play the reinforcement effect. The stress field, displacement field and energy of rock and soil masses are interrelated in the process of landslide developing. The application of infrared thermal imaging technology presents a new research method to study the soil arch effect of anti slide piles, which makes it possible to study landslide control structures such as anti-slide piles from the aspects of energy; and its feasibility and reliability has been proved in the physical model test.

Key words: infrared thermal imager, physical model test, soil arch effect, temperature, detection