Evaluation of Secondary Consolidation Settlement Associated with Embankment Construction for Fast-paced Transportation Projects in Utah

This report discusses the design and implementation of surcharging technology in terms of the required laboratory, field and engineering evaluations. It is hoped that such information will provide a more consistent and technically defensible rationale for deploying this technology on highway projects constructed atop soft soils. Surcharging or preloading of the earthen embankments and underlying compressible soils is the most commonly deployed strategy to reduce the magnitude of secondary compression. Surcharging or overconsolidating of the foundation soils can be used to reduce the post-construction secondary settlement. In the course of this research, twenty-two consolidation tests and eighty-eight time rate tests were performed on Pleistocene and recent fine-grained, cohesive, lacustrine deposits comprised of Lake Bonneville and more recent clays, most likely of Utah Lake origin located along the Wasatch Front in Utah. Prior to analyzing the data, the test results were screened using the sample quality designation (SQD). Plots of the adjusted amount of surcharge (AAOS) were plotted versus the normalized rate of secondary settlement (Cₐ’/Cₐ) and compared with the research performed by Ng (1998). The data from this thesis plots higher than that reported by Ng (1998). This higher trend agrees better with the long-term settlement performance monitoring data obtained from the I-15 Reconstruction Project in Salt Lake County, Utah. Data from the time rate tests were used to determine the Cₐ/compression ratio (CR) ratio, giving a mean value of Cₐ/CR = 0.0442. This value compared favorably with the research performed by Ng (1998), which had a value of Cₐ/CR = 0.0433. Also provided with this report is a recommended method for designing surcharge fills considering post-construction (i.e., secondary compression) settlement.

• Record URL:
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z02fTUBUnHY0GZgaUnAHBfUlOkvabfho/view?usp=sharing
• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=1005
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/66154
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  122 South Central Campus Drive, Suite 104
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  Utah Department of Transportation

  Salt Lake City, UT  United States 

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108
• Authors:
  • Bartlett, Steven F
  • Lawton, Evert C
  • Gibbs, Zach M
• Publication Date: 2017-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 512p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compressible soils; Consolidation; Construction projects; Embankments; Fills; Ground settlement; Highways; Soft soils; Soil consolidation test
• Geographic Terms: Utah
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01703110
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UT-17.22, MPC 20-422
• Contract Numbers: 12-9310
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 26 2019 4:58PM