THE EDF POWER STATION AT THE BLAYAIS: VERTICAL DRAIN TEST SECTION

CENTRALE EDF DU BLAYAIS - PLANCHE D'ESSAI DE DRAINS VERTICAUX

The construction of the nuclear power station at Le Blayais, on the banks of the Gironde, in the marshes of Braud and St. Louis, necessitated the building of a new road to carry exceptionally heavy convoys. This road, approximately 4 km long, was built on a shallow embankment on very soft clay. The preliminary soil study showed that to ensure the stability of the road under heavy loads it was necessary to place a temporary backfill overload to consolidate the clay. The embankment was constructed in 2 stages. The rate of consolidation was accelerated between each phase by means of vertical drains. Taking into account the length of the future road it was decided to build an experimental section in order to compare two construction methods (driving and extraction), two mesh sizes (3 and 4 M) and two types of drain (sand drains and geodrains). The article gives the results of the comparison between preliminary calculations and in-situ observations for a given mesh, and of the comparison between the different drain techniques used on this experimental section. Details are given of the factors which led to the adoption of plastic drains. This paper was presented to the French Committee for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, January 1978. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausees (LCPC)

  Boulevard Lefebvre 58
  Paris Cedex 15,   France  F-75732
• Authors:
  • Queyroi, D
• Publication Date: 1980-3-4

Language

• French

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 17-26
• Serial:
  • Bulletin de Liaison des Lab des Ponts et Chaussees
  • Issue Number: 106
  • Publisher: Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausees (LCPC)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bogs; Calculation; Clay; Compressibility; Conferences; Consolidation; Construction management; Drainage; Electric power plants; Embankments; Experimental roads; Foundations; Ground settlement; Loads; Mat foundations; Nuclear power generation; Plastics; Road construction; Sand drains; Soft clays; Soil stabilization; Soils; Stability (Mechanics); Subsoil; Tests; Trucks; Vertical drains; Wire mesh
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil consolidation; Stage construction; Vertical
• Geographic Terms: France
• ITRD Terms: 4348: Bog; 6464: Calculation; 4177: Clay; 5905: Compressibility; 8525: Conference; 5791: Consolidation (soil); 2937: Drainage; 2801: Embankment; 2778: Experimental road; 8036: France; 5567: Load; 1236: Lorry; 7454: Plastic material; 2929: Sand drain; 5792: Settlement; 5930: Stability; 3657: Stage construction; 2930: Subsoil; 6255: Test; 9087: Vertical
• Subject Areas: Construction; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Motor Carriers; I51: Earthworks and Soil Drainage;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00331420
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausees (LCPC)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 15 1981 12:00AM