Centrifugal Modeling of Drains for Slope Stabilization
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 116, Issue 11
Abstract
Horizontal drains are commonly used to stabilize slopes or embankments in which ground‐water seepage is the main cause of instability. When using horizontal drains to remedy an unstable slope, the length, spacing, and position of the drains must be chosen. These drain‐placement parameters are usually chosen on the basis of engineering judgment; sometimes they are obtained from published design charts. This paper presents a methodology that can be used to develop or experimentally verify such charts. Model slopes are tested in a geotechnical centrifuge to evaluate the influence of horizontal drains on the distribution of piezometric levels within slopes. The observed results, from those experiments in which drains were installed in the model slopes, were compared to reference conditions obtained from experiments without drains. The limited capacity of the centrifuge used in this research precludes a complete verification of the published design charts, but the results demonstrate the usefulness of the centrifugal modeling technique in studying the process of slope stabilization.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Aigle, P., Desnouvaux, F., and Prost, J. P. (1987). “Les eperons drainants dans les talus en deblai‐presentation d'abaques de dimensionnement sur criteres hydrauliques et mecaniques.” Can. Geotech. J., 24(4), 590–600(in French).
2.
Al‐Hussaini, M. M., et al. (1981). “Centrifuge modeling of coal waste embankments.” J. Geotech Engrg. Div., ASCE, 107(4), 481–499.
3.
Cargill, K. W., and Ko, H.‐Y. (1983). “Centrifugal modeling of transient water flow.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 109(4), 536–555.
4.
Cedergren, H. R. (.1977). Seepage, drainage, and flow nets. Second Ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y., 92, 332–380.
5.
Choi, Y. L. (1974). “Design of horizontal drains.” J. Engrg. Soc. Hong Kong, Dec., 37–49.
6.
Fredlund, D. G. (1985). PC‐SLOPE, Slope stability analysis. Geo‐Slope Programming Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
7.
Jones, W. V., and Larsen, R. (1970). “Investigation and correction of a highway landslide (special emphasis on horizontal drains).” Proc. Eighth Annual Idaho Engrg. Geology and Soils Engrg. Symp., Pocatello, Idaho, 123–144.
8.
Kenney, T. C., Pazin, M., and Choi, W. S. (1977). “Design of horizontal drains for soil slopes.” J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., ASCE, 103(11), 1311–1323.
9.
Kim, M. M., and Ko, H.‐Y. (1982). “Centrifugal testing of soil slope models.” Transp. Res. Rec., Transportation Research Board, No. 872, 7–15.
10.
Lamb, S. E. (1980). “Embankment stabilization by use of horizontal drains.” Transp. Res. Record, Transportation Research Board, No. 749, 6–10.
11.
LaRochelle, P., Lefebvre, G., and Bilodeau, P. M. (1977). “The stabilization of a slide in Saint‐Jerome, Lac Saint‐Jean.” Can. Geotech. J., 14(3), 340–356.
12.
Lau, K. C., and Kenney, T. C. (1984). “Horizontal drains to stabilize clay slopes.” Can. Geotech. J., 21(2), 241–249.
13.
Laut, P. (1975). “Application of centrifugal model tests in connexion with studies of flow patterns of contaminated water in soil structures.” Geotechnique, 25(2), 401–406.
14.
Mikasa, M., Takada, N., and Yamada, K. (1969). “Centrifugal model test of a rockfill dam.” Proc. Seventh Int. Conf. on Soil Mech. and Found. Engrg., Mexico City, Vol. 2, 325–333.
15.
Nonveiller, E. (1981). “Efficiency of horizontal drains on slope stability.” Proc. 10th Int. Conf. on Soil Mech. and Found. Engrg., Stockholm, Sweden, 3, 495–500.
16.
Prellwitz, R. W. (1978). “Analysis of parallel drains for highway cut‐slope stabilization.” Proc. 16th Annual Idaho Engrg. Geology and Soils Engrg. Symp., Boise, Idaho, 153–180.
17.
Resnick, G. S. (1988). “Centrifugal modeling of seepage, slope stability and the influence of horizontal drains,” thesis presented to the University of Colorado, at Boulder, Colorado, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.
18.
Rico, A., Springall, G., and Mendoza, A. (1976). “Investigations of instability and remedial works on the Tijuana‐Ensenada Highway, Mexico.” Geotechnique, 26(4), 577–590.
19.
Schofield, A. N. (1978). “Use of centrifugal model testing to assess slope stability.” Can. Geotech. J., 15(1), 14–31.
20.
Smith, T. W., and Stafford, G. V. (1957). “Horizontal drains on California highways.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., ASCE, 83(3), 1300‐1–1300‐26.
21.
Stanic, B. (1984). “Influence of drainage trenches on slope stability.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 110(11), 1624–1636.
22.
Stanton, T. E. (1948). “California experience in stabilizing earth slopes through the installation of horizontal drains by the Hydrauger method.” Proc. Second Int. Conf. on Soil Mech. and Found. Engrg., Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Vol. 3, 256–260.
23.
Sutherland, H. J., and Rechard, R. P. (1984). “Centrifuge simulations of stable tailings dam.” J. Geotech. Engrg., ASCE, 110(3), 390–402.
24.
Taylor, R. C., and Brown, C. B. (1967). “FEDAR.” Computer program from Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
25.
Thomson, S., and Mekechuk, J. (1982). “A landslide in glacial lake clays in central British Columbia.” Can. Geotech. J., 19(3), 296–306.
26.
Tong, P. Y. L., and Maher, R. O. (1975). “Horizontal drains as a slope stabilizing measure.” J. Engrg. Soc. of Hong Kong, February, 15–27.
27.
Townsend, F. C., et al. (1979). “Centrifuge modeling of coal waste embankment stability.” Preprint 3786, ASCE Convention on Centrifugal Modeling of Geotechnical Problems, Atlanta, Ga., 1–26.
28.
Zaruba, Q., and Mencl, V. (1982). Landslides and their control. Second Ed., Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, New York, N.Y., 208–217.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 116 • Issue 11 • November 1990
Pages: 1607 - 1624
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 ASCE.
History
Published online: Nov 1, 1990
Published in print: Nov 1990
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.