CENTRIFUGE TESTS OF EMBANKMENTS ON STRENGTHENED AND UNSTRENGTHENED CLAY FOUNDATIONS

Centrifuge tests were conducted to study the behaviour of embankments on soft clay foundations prepared with an overconsolidated crust over normally consolidated kaolin clay. Tests were performed with embankments constructed during flight in stages with measurements of pore pressures at selected locations and displacements using a marker grid. This paper concentrates on two tests in the series. One test was performed with the clay foundation strengthened using granular columns; the other test had an untreated foundation. In the test using an untreated foundation the embankment failed at a height of 11.6 m. The strengthened foundation supported an embankment of 13 m without failure. Large lateral displacements were measured in unstrengthened clay during consolidation periods and it was found that large displacement increases are a good indicator of a factor of safety below about 1.3. At corresponding loadings the use of strengthened foundations decreased lateral and vertical movements by about 50%. Total stress and effective stress stability analyses were made for embankments on both unstrengthened and strengthened clay foundations. In the latter case allowance was made for the strength of columns. It was found for the wide spacing of columns used that the increased pore pressure dissipation due to the presence of the columns had a much greater strengthening effect than any intrinsic strength of the columns themselves. (Author/TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00168505
• Corporate Authors:

  Institution of Civil Engineers

  One Great George Street, Westminster
  London,   United Kingdom  SW1P 3AA
• Authors:
  • Almeida, MSS
  • DAVIES, MCR
  • Parry, RHG
• Publication Date: 1985-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: p. 425-441
• Serial:
  • GEOTECHNIQUE
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited
  • ISSN: 0016-8505

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Centrifuges; Embankments; Foundations; Granular materials; Kaolin; Material reinforcement; Overconsolidation; Pore pressure; Safety factors; Testing
• Old TRIS Terms: Flow duration curves
• ITRD Terms: 5404: Centrifugal force; 4177: Clay; 5905: Compressibility; 5791: Consolidation (soil); 2801: Embankment; 5520: Failure; 3377: Foundation; 3379: Granular pile; 5567: Load; 6136: Measurement; 5483: Movement; 5762: Pore water pressure; 3471: Reinforcement (in mater); 5504: Safety coefficient; 5575: Stress (in material); 6255: Test
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00464922
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1988 12:00AM