Three-Dimensional Numerical Modeling of a Piled Embankment
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 9, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper proposes a three-dimensional numerical modeling of an embankment over a soft ground mass improved by vertical stiff piles, using a finite-difference continuum approach (FLAC3D). Arching occurs in the embankment granular material, leading to load transfer onto the piles and surface settlement reduction and homogenization. The embankment, the piles, and the soft ground are explicitly taken into account in the proposed numerical model. First, a unit cell from the pile grid is considered. Two sorts of soft clay deposits and two embankment materials are successively modeled. The soft soil behavior is simulated by the modified Cam Clay model and the embankment material behavior is successively simulated by an elastic perfectly plastic model with a Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and then by an isotropic hardening elastoplastic model, the CJS2 model, in order to approach the real system behavior. The calculations are performed in drained conditions, simulating the long-term behavior. The impact of the soft soil deposit compressibility and of the embankment material characteristics are underlined. The academic case of a current embankment section including lateral slopes is then simulated. The embankment is high and wide and the lateral slopes have inclination of 26°. The piles are now subjected to horizontal movements. The three-dimensional aspect of the problem is highlighted.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Berthelot, P., Pezot, B., and Liausu, P. (2003). “Amélioration des sols naturels ou anthropiques par colonnes semi-rigides: Le procédé CMC.” Proc., 13th European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, The Czech Geotechnical Society CICE, Prague, Czech Republic (in French).
Briançon, L. (2002). Reinforcement des sols par inclusions rigides—Etat de l’art, IREX Institut pour la Recherche Appliquée et l’Expérimentation en Génie Civil, Paris (in French).
Briançon, L., Kastner, R., Simon, B., and Dias, D. (2004). “Etat des connaissances—Amélioration des sols par inclusions rigides.” Proc., Int. Symp. on Ground Improvement, Presses de l’ENPC, Paris, 15–44 (in French).
Cambou, B., and Jafari, K. (1987). “A constitutive model for granular materials based on two plasticity mechanisms.” Constitutive equations for granular non-cohesive soils, A. S. Saada, ed., Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 149–167.
Combarieu, O. (1988). “Amélioration des sols par inclusions rigides verticales. Application à l’édification de remblais sur sols médiocres.” Revue Française de Géotechnique, 44, 57–79 (in French).
Combarieu, O., Gestin, F., and Pioline, M. (1994). “Remblais sur sols améliorés par inclusions rigides: Premiers chantiers.” Bull. Lab. Ponts Chaussees, 191, 55–61 (in French).
Duncan, J. M., and Chang, C. Y. (1970). “Non linear analysis of stress and strain in soil.” J. Soil Mech. and Found. Div., 96, 1629–1653.
Fragaszy, R. J., Su, J., Siddigi, H., and Ho, C. J. (1992). “Modeling strength of sandy gravel.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 118(6), 920–935.
Habib, H. A. A., Brugman, M. H. A., and Uijting, B. G. J. (2002). “Widening of Road N247 founded on a geogrid reinforced mattress on piles.” Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Geosynthetics, Swets & Zeitlinger, Nice, France, 369–372.
Han, J., and Gabr, M. A. (2002). “Numerical analysis of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported earth platforms over soft soil.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 128(1), 44–53.
Hewlett, W. J., and Randolph, M. F. (1988). “Analysis of piled embankment.” Ground Eng., 21(3), 12–18.
Indraratna, B., Balasubramaniam, A. S., and Balachandran, S. (1992). “Performance of test embankment constructed to failure on soft marine clay.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 118(1), 12–33.
Itasca. (2002). Flac3D user’s guide, Minneapolis.
Janbu, N. (1963). “Soil compressibility as determined by oedometer and triaxial tests.” Proc., European Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Fundamental Engineering, Deutsche Gesellshaft für Erd- und Grundbau, Wiesbaden, Germany, Vol. 1, 19–25.
Jenck, O. (2005). “Le renforcement des sols compressibles par inclusions rigides verticales. Modélisation physique et numérique.” Ph.D. thesis, INSA de Lyon, 2005, Villeurbanne, France (in French).
Jenck, O., Dias, D., and Kastner, R. (2005). “Soft ground improvement by vertical stiff piles—Two-dimensional physical modeling and comparison with current design methods.” Soils Found., 45(6), 15–30.
Jones, C. J. F. P., Lawson, C. R., and Ayres, D. J. (1990). “Geotextile reinforced piles embankments.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Geotextiles Geomembranes and Related Products, Balkema, The Hague, The Netherlands, Vol. 1, 155–160.
Kempfert, H. G., Göbel, C., Alexiew, D., and Heitz, C. (2004). “German recommandations for reinforced embankments on pile-similar elements.” Proc., 3rd European Geosynthetics Conf., Deutsche Gesellschaft für Geotechnik, Munich, Germany, 279–284.
Kempton, G., Russell, D., Pierpoint, N. D., and Jones, C. J. F. P. (1998). “Two- and three-dimensional numerical analysis of the performance of piled embankments.” Proc., 6th Int. Conf. on Geosynthetics, Industrial Fabrics Association International, Atlanta, 767–772.
Laurent, Y., Dias, D., Simon, B., and Kastner, R. (2003). “A 3D finite difference analysis of embankments over pile-reinforced soft soil.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Geotechnics of Soft Soils—Theory and Practice, Verlag Glückauf, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 271–276.
Love, J. P., and Milligan, G. W. E. (2003). “Design methods for basally reinforced pile supported embankments over soft ground.” Ground Eng., 39–43.
Low, B. K., Tang, S. K., and Choa, V. (1994). “Arching in piled embankments.” J. Geotech. Engrg., 120(11), 1917–1938.
Magnan, J. P., and Belkeziz, A. (1982). “Consolidation d’un sol élastoplastique.” Revue Française de Géotechnique, 19, 39–49 (in French).
Maleki, M., Dubujet, P., and Cambou, B. (2000). “Modélisation hiérarchisée du comportement des sols.” Revue Francaise Genie Civil, 4(7), 895–928 (in French).
Mestat, P., Bourgeois, E., and Riou, Y. (2004). “Numerical modelling of embankments and underground works.” Comput. Geotech., 31, 227–236.
Naughton, P. J., and Kempton, G. T. (2005). “Comparison of analytical and numerical analysis design methods for piled embankments.” Proc., Geo-Frontiers 2005, ASCE, Reston, Va.
Paute, J. L., Hornych, P., and Benaben, J. P. (1994). “Comportement mécanique des graves non-traitées.” Bull. Lab. Ponts Chaussees, 190, 27–38 (in French).
Quigley, P., O’Malley, J., and Rodgers, M. (2003). “Performance of a trial embankment constructed on soft compressible estuarine deposits at Shannon, Ireland.” Proc., Int. Workshop on Geotechnics of Soft Soils, Theory and Practice, Verlag Glückauf, Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, 619–624.
Rogbeck, Y., Gustavsson, S., Soedergren, I., and Lindquist, D. (1998). “Reinforced piled embankments in Sweden—Design aspects.” Proc., 6th Int. Conf. on Geosynthetics, Industrial Fabrics Association International, Atlanta, 755–762.
Roscoe, K. H., and Burland, J. B. (1968). “On the generalised stress-strain behavior of ‘wet’ clay.’” Engineering plasticity, Cambridge University Press, New York, 535–609.
Russell, D., and Pierpoint, N. (1997). “An assessment of design methods for piled embankments.” Ground Eng., 39–44.
Skinner, G. D., and Rowe, R. K. (2005). “Design and behaviour of a geosynthetic reinforced retaining wall and bridge abutment on a yielding foundation.” Geotext. Geomembr., 23(3), 234–260.
Stewart, M. E., and Filz, G. M. (2005). “Influence of clay compressibility on geosynthetic loads in bridging layers for column-supported embankments.” Proc., Geo-Frontiers, ASCE, Austin, Tex.
Svano, G., Ilstad, T., Eiksund, G., and Want, A. (2000). “Alternative calculation principle for design of piles embankments with base reinforcement.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. of Ground Improvement Geosystem, Finnish Geotechnical Society, Helsinki, Finland.
Terzaghi, K. (1943). Theoretical soil mechanics, Wiley, New York.
Valle, N. (2001). “Comportement mécanique d’un sol grossier d’une terrasse alluvionnaire de la Seine.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. de Caen/Basse Normandie Caen (in French).
Varadarajan, A., Sharma, G., and Aly, M. A. (1999). “A finite element analysis of reinforced embankment foundation.” Int. J. Numer. Analyt. Meth. Geomech., 23(2), 103–114.
Wood, H. J. (2003). “The design and construction of pile-supported embankments for the A63 Selby Bypass.” Proc., Foundations: Innovations, Design and Practice, Dundee, Scotland, 941–950.
Zanziger, H., and Gartung, E. (2002). “Performance of a geogrid reinforced railway embankment on piles.” Proc., 7th Int. Conf. on Geosynthetics, Swets & Zeitlinger, Nice, France, 381–386.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 9 • Issue 3 • May 2009
Pages: 102 - 112
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 28, 2007
Accepted: Nov 11, 2008
Published in print: May 2009
Published online: May 15, 2009
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.