Seismic Performance of Hillside Fills
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VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 127, Issue 11
Abstract
Permanent ground deformations in unsaturated, compacted hillside fills under seismic loading conditions are discussed, with emphasis given to fill performance during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. These movements represent a significant yet often unrecognized hazard to developed hillside areas, as relatively modest deformations induced widespread damage totaling hundreds of millions of dollars during the Northridge event. The development of grading standards in the Los Angeles area is reviewed to place the seismic fill deformation problem in context with other issues that have shaped design and construction practices for hillside fills. Field observational data on fill performance during the Northridge earthquake is presented, and typical ground distress patterns are found to include cracking near cut/fill contacts, lateral extension and settlement of fill pads, and bulging of fill slope faces. For most sites, the prevalent mechanism of permanent ground deformation responsible for the fill movements is contractive volumetric strain accumulation within the unsaturated fill soils during strong earthquake shaking (that is, seismic compression).
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 127 • Issue 11 • November 2001
Pages: 905 - 919
History
Received: Oct 24, 2000
Published online: Nov 1, 2001
Published in print: Nov 2001
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