Analysis and Design of EPS-Geofoam Embankments for Seismic Loading
Publication: Geotechnical Engineering for Transportation Projects
Abstract
The use of block-molded expanded polystyrene (EPS-block) geofoam as a lightweight-fill material for highway embankments is a relatively mature geotechnology with more than 30 years history of successful application worldwide. Basic analysis and design procedures are now well established and documented, and current research and development efforts are focused on making incremental improvements. One such area of improvement relates to analysis and design for seismic loading. The recent construction of several EPS-geofoam highway embankments on the Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) Project in Boston, well known as the `Big Dig', resulted in an opportunity to advance the state of practice for EPS-geofoam embankments subjected to seismic loading. In particular, a newly recognized behavioral mode referred to as seismic rocking was identified and found to govern the design of these fills for internal stability. This behavioral mode is described in this paper in the context of summarizing the current state of knowledge with respect to seismic analysis and design of EPS embankments.
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Copyright
© 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Apr 26, 2012
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Construction engineering
- Construction industry
- Construction management
- Continuum mechanics
- Design (by type)
- Dynamic loads
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Earthquake engineering
- Embankment (transportation)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering materials (by type)
- Engineering mechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Highway and road design
- Highway and road management
- Highway and road structures
- Highway transportation
- Infrastructure
- Infrastructure construction
- Load factors
- Load history
- Materials engineering
- Plastics
- Polystyrene
- Seismic design
- Seismic loads
- Seismic tests
- Solid mechanics
- Structural design
- Structural dynamics
- Synthetic materials
- Tests (by type)
- Transportation engineering
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