Analysis of Deformation Formation Causes and Reinforcement Disposal Effects in Deep Excavated Expansive Soil Canal Slope: Case Study
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 23, Issue 5
Abstract
Deeply excavated expansive soil canal slopes can have instability risks during operations. The deformation mechanism is analyzed using internal and external factors, such as engineering geology, hydrogeology, rainfall, and groundwater levels in the middle expansive soil canal slope in the central line of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, Taocha District, Nanyang City, Henan Province, China. The stability of the canal slope and the effect of the reinforcement and disposal measures are evaluated with a geological survey, manual inspection of the defects, safety monitoring data analysis, hidden danger geophysical detection, and stability numerical simulation. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) the surface-refilled cement-treated soil failed to isolate the water vapor exchange between the expansive soil and the atmosphere; and (2) the stagnant water in the upper layer is replenished by precipitation, leading to the increase in the groundwater level during the rainy season and the decrease in the groundwater level during the dry season. Shear creep deformation occurs along the fissure of the second to fourth grade canal slopes. The potential sliding surface consists of a gentle dip angle leading edge and a steep dip angle trailing edge. The arrangement of the antisliding piles on the water-passing section and the crack surface distribution had an effect, and the potential shear outlet is in the first grade berm, the deformed body is still developing, and the trailing edge is not apparent. The potential failure mode of the slope is deep sliding, and the current safety factor is 1.002. A combination of groundwater discharge and micropile reinforcement is required to improve the stability of the canal slope. After the drainage and reinforcement are implemented, the slope’s deep antislide stability safety factor increases to 1.462, which met the safety requirements. The results could provide a reference for the operation management and reinforcement governance of similar projects.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The research is based upon the work supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52179138, Grant No. 5187916, and Grant No. 52209165) and the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 2022M711667).
References
Aleotti, P. 2004. “A warning system for rainfall-induced shallow failures.” Eng. Geol. 73 (3–4): 247–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2004.01.007.
Banerjee, A., A. J. Puppala, S. S. Congress, S. Chakraborty, and A. Pedarla. 2021. “Recent advancements in predicting the behaviour of unsaturated and expansive soils.” In Indian Geotechnical Conf. 2019, edited by S. Patel, C. H. Solanki, K. R. Reddy, and S. K. Shukla, 1–21. Singapore: Springer.
Bao, C., and C. Ng. 2020. “Some thoughts and studies on the prediction of slope stability in expansive soils.” In Unsaturated soils for Asia, edited by H. Raharjdo, 15–31. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Cheng, Y., Y. Xu, L. Wang, and L. Wang. 2022. “Stability of expansive soil slopes reinforced with anchor cables based on rotational-translational mechanisms.” Comput. Geotech. 146: 104747. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2022.104747.
Cheng, Z., J. Ding, X. Rao, Y. Cheng, and H. Xu. 2013. “Physical model tests of expansive soil slope.” In Geo-Congress 2013: Stability and Performance of Slopes and Embankments III, Geotechnical Special Publication 231, edited by C. Meehan, D. Pradel, M. A. Pando, and J. F. Labuz, 731–740. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Congress, S. S. C., and A. J. Puppala. 2020. “Evaluation of UAV–CRP data for monitoring transportation infrastructure constructed over expansive soils.” Indian Geotech. J. 50 (2): 159–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-019-00384-4.
Dai, Z., S. Chen, and J. Li. 2017. “The failure characteristics and evolution mechanism of the expansive soil trench slope.” In PanAm Unsaturated Soils 2017: Applications, edited by L. R. Hoyos, J. S. McCartney, S. L. Houston, and W. J. Likos, 196–205. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Dai, Z., J. Guo, H. Luo, J. Li, and S. Chen. 2020. “Strength characteristics and slope stability analysis of expansive soil with filled fissures.” Appl. Sci. 10 (13): 4616. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10134616.
Gofar, N., and H. Rahardjo. 2017. “Saturated and unsaturated stability analysis of slope subjected to rainfall infiltration.” MATEC Web Conf. 101 (11): 05004. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201710105004.
Hou, T., G. Xu, Y. Shen, Z. Wu, N. Zhang, and R. Wang. 2013. “Formation mechanism and stability analysis of the Houba expansive soil landslide.” Eng. Geol. 161: 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.04.010.
Jiang, H., B. Wang, H. I. Inyang, J. Liu, K. Gu, and B. Shi. 2013. “Role of expansive soil and topography on slope failure and its countermeasures, Yun County, China.” Eng. Geol. 152 (1): 155–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.10.020.
Khan, M. S., S. Hossain, A. Ahmed, and M. Faysal. 2017. “Investigation of a shallow slope failure on expansive clay in Texas.” Eng. Geol. 219: 118–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.10.004.
Khan, M. S., M. Nobahar, M. Stroud, S. Ferguson, and J. Ivoke. 2022. “Performance evaluation of a highway slope on expansive soil in Mississippi.” Int. J. Geomech. 22 (1): 05021005. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002240.
Kristo, C., H. Rahardjo, and A. Satyanaga. 2017. “Effect of variations in rainfall intensity on slope stability in Singapore.” Int. Soil Water Conserv. Res. 5 (4): 258–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.07.001.
Liao, S. 1984. Expansive soil and railway subgrade engineering. Beijing: China Railway Publishing House.
Liu, S., Y. Lu, L. Weng, and F. Bai. 2015. “Field study of treatment for expansive soil/rock channel slope with soilbags.” Geotext. Geomembr. 43 (4): 283–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2015.04.004.
Luo, J., Q. Zhang, L. Li, and W. Xiang. 2019. “Monitoring and characterizing the deformation of an earth dam in Guangxi Province, China.” Eng. Geol. 248: 50–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.11.007.
Miao, L., S. Liu, and Y. Lai. 2002. “Research of soil–water characteristics and shear strength features of Nanyang expansive soil.” Eng. Geol. 65 (4): 261–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(01)00136-3.
Ng, C. W. W., L. T. Zhan, C. G. Bao, D. G. Fredlund, and B. W. Gong. 2003. “Performance of an unsaturated expansive soil slope subjected to artificial rainfall infiltration.” Geotechnique 53 (2): 143–157. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2003.53.2.143.
Ni, P., G. Mei, and Y. Zhao. 2018. “Influence of raised groundwater level on the stability of unsaturated soil slopes.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (12): 04018168. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001316.
Pei, P., Y. Zhao, P. Ni, and G. Mei. 2020. “A protective measure for expansive soil slopes based on moisture content control.” Eng. Geol. 269: 105527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105527.
Puppala, A. J. 2021. “Performance evaluation of infrastructure on problematic expansive soils: Characterization challenges, innovative stabilization designs, and monitoring methods.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 147 (8): 04021053. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002518.
Qi, S., and S. K. Vanapalli. 2016. “Influence of swelling behavior on the stability of an infinite unsaturated expansive soil slope.” Comput. Geotech. 76: 154–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.02.018.
Su, H., X. Li, B. Yang, and Z. Wen. 2018. “Wavelet support vector machine-based prediction model of dam deformation.” Mech. Syst. Sig. Process. 110: 412–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2018.03.022.
Sun, G., S. Cheng, W. Jiang, and H. Zheng. 2016. “A global procedure for stability analysis of slopes based on the Morgenstern-Price assumption and its applications.” Comput. Geotech. 80: 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.06.014.
Tarolli, P., M. Borga, K.-T. Chang, and S.-H. Chiang. 2011. “Modeling shallow landsliding susceptibility by incorporating heavy rainfall statistical properties.” Geomorphology 133 (3–4): 199–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.02.033.
Tiwari, N., N. Satyam, and A. J. Puppala. 2021. “Strength and durability assessment of expansive soil stabilized with recycled ash and natural fibers.” Transp. Geotech. 29: 100556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2021.100556.
Tsai, M.-S., and F.-Y. Hsu. 2009. “Application of grey correlation analysis in evolutionary programming for distribution system feeder reconfiguration.” IEEE Trans. Power Syst. 25 (2): 1126–1133. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2009.2032325.
Xiao, R. 1995. Geologic hazard study of expensive soil in South Shaanxi Province. Xi’an, China: Shaanxi Science and Technology Press.
Yan, H., A. P. Jivkov, and M. Sedighi. 2022. “Modelling soil desiccation cracking by peridynamics.” Géotechnique 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.21.00032.
Yin, Z., and B. Xu. 2011. “Slope stability of expansive soil under fissure influence.” Chin. J. Geotech. Eng. 33 (2): 454–459.
Yongfu, X., G. Youping, and Y. Zongze. 1998. “Fractal characteristics of shear strength for unsaturated expansive soils.” Eng. Mech. 15 (2): 76–81.
Zeng, R., X. Meng, F. Zhang, S. Wang, Z. Cui, M. Zhang, Y. Zhang, and G. Chen. 2016. “Characterizing hydrological processes on loess slopes using electrical resistivity tomography–A case study of the Heifangtai Terrace, Northwest China.” J. Hydrol. 541: 742–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.07.033.
Zhan, T. L. T., R. Chen, and C. W. W. Ng. 2014. “Wetting-induced softening behavior of an unsaturated expansive clay.” Landslides 11 (6): 1051–1061. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0449-6.
Zhan, T. L., C. W. Ng, and D. G. Fredlund. 2007. “Field study of rainfall infiltration into a grassed unsaturated expansive soil slope.” Can. Geotech. J. 44 (4): 392–408. https://doi.org/10.1139/t07-001.
Zhang, J., H. W. Huang, L. M. Zhang, H. H. Zhu, and B. Shi. 2014. “Probabilistic prediction of rainfall-induced slope failure using a mechanics-based model.” Eng. Geol. 168: 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.11.005.
Zhang, S., J. Si, Y. Niu, W. Zhu, Q. Fan, X. Hu, C. Zhang, P. An, Z. Ren, and Z. Li. 2022. “Surface deformation of expansive soil at Ankang Airport, China, revealed by InSAR observations.” Remote Sens. 14 (9): 2217. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14092217.
Zhang, Y., and X. Zhang. 2007. “Grey correlation analysis between strength of slag cement and particle fractions of slag powder.” Cem. Concr. Compos. 29 (6): 498–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2007.02.004.
Zhu, D., C. Lee, Q. Qian, and G. Chen. 2005. “A concise algorithm for computing the factor of safety using the Morgenstern Price method.” Can. Geotech. J. 42 (1): 272–278. https://doi.org/10.1139/t04-072.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 30, 2022
Accepted: Nov 29, 2022
Published online: Mar 8, 2023
Published in print: May 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Aug 8, 2023
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.