Eighth International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
MSE Wall Global Stability and Lesson Learned
Publication: Geo-Congress 2019: Embankments, Dams, and Slopes (GSP 305)
ABSTRACT
A highway bridge spanning an at-grade railroad right-of-way was designed using two MSE wall supported abutments. The earthwork included the soil approach embankment and the MSE wall sand backfill. Steel H-piles were inserted through the backfill in corrugated metal pipes and then driven to the desired depth to support the bridge abutments. Before construction of the MSE walls, rammed aggregate piers (RAPs) were installed beneath each MSE wall and backfill to reduce total and differential settlements and increase bearing capacity of the weak foundation soils. The west MSE wall and approach embankment did not perform well and had to be demolished and re-constructed but the east wall performed well. Field settlement and slope inclinometer data show that the west MSE wall moved laterally due to the weak foundation soils. This paper discusses the cause of the lateral wall movements and presents recommendations for the design of future MSE walls founded on RAPs.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2019: Embankments, Dams, and Slopes (GSP 305)
Pages: 277 - 289
Editors: Christopher L. Meehan, Ph.D., University of Delaware, Sanjeev Kumar, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Miguel A. Pando, Ph.D., University of North Carolina Charlotte, and Joseph T. Coe, Ph.D., Temple University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8207-0
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Mar 21, 2019
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Backfills
- Bridge abutments
- Bridge components
- Bridge engineering
- Bridges
- Bridges (by type)
- Construction engineering
- Construction methods
- Design (by type)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Excavation
- Foundation settlement
- Foundations
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Highway and road design
- Highway bridges
- Railroad bridges
- Retaining structures
- Skew bridges
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil settlement
- Structural engineering
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