STABILITY OF EMBANKMENT OF CLAY

Comments are made on the possible role of residual strength in effective stress analyses of the embankment failure. It is noted that the minimum effective shear strength likely to occur laong structural discontinuities or progressively developed failure surfaces in clay is the residual strength. The residual friction angle (14 deg.) determined by the authors for slickensides in the foundation is used to estimate safety factors for the three cross sections. Details of the estimation procedure are described, and the estimated safety factors are tabulated. Previous work is quoted that pointed out that stability of embankments on slightly overconsolidated highly plastic clay foundations is generally overestimated by both total and effective stress analyses using shear strengths from conventional laboratory tests. It was proposed that a shear strength reduction factor be used to account for progressive failure of foundation behavior which reduce field mobilized shear strengths. Later studies have shown that rsidual or near-residual shear strengths are mobilized as described.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/3519342
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • Hamel, J V
• Publication Date: 1976-5

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 574-576
• Serial:
  • Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue Number: GT5
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 1090-0241
  • Serial URL: http://ojps.aip.org/gto

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Clay; Effective stress; Embankments; Estimating; Failure; Friction; Laboratory tests; Mechanical stability; Overconsolidation; Residual strength; Safety factors; Shear strength
• Uncontrolled Terms: Friction angle
• Old TRIS Terms: Embankment stability
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00139336
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ASCE #12091 Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1976 12:00AM