Embankments over Soft Clay Deposits: Contribution of Basal Reinforcement and Surface Sand Layer to Stability
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper evaluates the significance of basal reinforcement and the presence of the surface sand layer in the stability. This evaluation is carried out by means of field measurements and stability analyses of three test embankments on soft clay taken to failure. Two of the test embankments were reinforced and one was unreinforced. Stability analyses were carried out taking into account measured values of reinforcement tension forces during construction. The set of analyses have shown that the top sand layer was more important to the stability of the embankments than the basal reinforcement. The cases studied have also shown that the conventional design practice that assumes for the reinforcement a fixed tension contribution may lead to unrealistic higher factor of safety.
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References
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© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 27, 2009
Accepted: Jul 14, 2009
Published online: Jul 22, 2009
Published in print: Jan 2010
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