The Importance of Hydrogeologic Characterization and Analysis to Avoid Off-Site Impacts in Highway Construction

Shortly after construction of a major freeway expansion, groundwater rose to the surface at an adjacent industrial park in coastal Southern California. Construction included a mechanically stabilized earth wall for support of the freeway expansion. Soil cement mixing was used to stabilize soils at the toe of the wall where the wall transected small alluvium-filled canyons. Upgradient of the soil cement zones, stone columns were installed through alluvial soils to bedrock in order to mitigate liquefaction. Stone columns were covered with a gravel drainage blanket. No formal analysis of the hydrogeologic conditions was apparently conducted as part of the engineering design. However, three-dimensional groundwater flow modeling clearly illustrated why one might expect rising groundwater downgradient of the mechanically stabilized wall. This case study illustrates the importance of hydrogeologic characterization and analysis in engineering design to avoid off-site property damage caused by rising groundwater.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784412121.362
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784412121
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Stephens, Daniel B
  • Botros, Farag E
  • Helenschmidt, Stanley
  • Casadevall, Bill
  • Quinlan, Peter
  • Davis, Daniel
• Conference:
  • GeoCongress 2012
  • Location: Oakland California, United States
  • Date: 2012-3-25 to 2012-3-29
• Publication Date: 2012-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: pp 3533-3542
• Monograph Title: GeoCongress 2012: State of the Art and Practice in Geotechnical Engineering

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alluvium; Case studies; Drainage blankets; Geotechnical engineering; Groundwater; Hydrogeology; Mechanically stabilized earth; Retaining walls; Road construction; Soil cement
• Uncontrolled Terms: Stone columns
• Geographic Terms: Southern California
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I51: Earthworks and Soil Drainage; I53: Construction of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01530400
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780784412121
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Jul 14 2014 4:50PM