SIDE HILL EMBANKMENT SHEAR FAILURE AT SOUTHERN TIER EXPRESSWAY

The eastbound embankment for a distance of 300 feet along centerline subsided 3 feet when it reached a height of 47 feet. The resulting mudwave was observed a distance of 250 feet beyond the toe of fill. An investigation program was carried out to determine the cause of the slide since this was not the usual form of a circular arc failure. The cause of the failure was the existence of a 5 feet thick silt and sand layer sandwiched in between a stiff clay layer above and a soft to medium clay layer below. As the soft clay consolidated, the pore water migrated to the silt and sand layer causing a build up of pore pressure with some lateral transfer through this layer. This reduced the shearing strength at the silt and sand - soft clay interface resulting ultimately in a wedge type failure. /Author/

• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Gemme, R L
• Publication Date: 1976-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 44-51
• Serial:
  • Highway Focus
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Clay; Embankments; Failure; Pore water; Sand; Shear strength; Silts
• Old TRIS Terms: Shear failures
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00148213
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 15 1977 12:00AM