Influence of Features of Natural Soft Clay on Embankment Behavior

This paper aims to investigate the influence of different features of natural soft clays, namely anisotropy, destructuration, on modeling the long-term behavior of embankments. The newly developed elasto-viscoplastic model is used for this purpose. The parameters determined from conventional triaxial and oedometer tests are employed for simulations, with additional parameters required representing different soil features. The finite element predictions by using the model coupled with Biot's consolidation theory compare the results for settlement, horizontal displacement and excess pore pressures. All simulations demonstrate that all three features influence significantly the predictions.