A LIGHTWEIGHT SOLUTION FOR LANDSLIDE STABILIZATION

Trunk Highway A, located within a remote region of Bayfield County in northern Wisconsin, required continued patching and maintenance because of the presence of a slow-moving, creep landslide that had persisted for over 20 years until it was decided that remedial work be performed in order to arrest the landslide movement. The relatively high strengths and very low densities available with geofoam led to the decision to use expanded polystyrene (EPS) block on the project. Because of the insulating effects of geofoam, an important consideration when using geofoam beneath pavements, particularly in northern climates, is the potential development of differential icing on the pavement surface. Therefore, the top of the geofoam was embedded at a depth of 1.5 m below final pavement grade. The thickness and location of the geofoam installation were determined through a series of stability analyses in order to achieve a postconstruction safety factor of 1.5. Based on the results of these analyses, three layers of geofoam blocks were placed on top of the drainage blanket, with each layer stair-stepped upward and into the embankment. The backfill surrounding and overlying the block layers consisted of compacted free-draining sand. To reduce the potential for deterioration by petroleum infiltration from possible spills or leaks from the highway vehicular traffic, the geofoam was covered with an impermeable sheeting prior to placing the final fill over the top of the geofoam blocks. The work was completed during the summer of 1999, and the slope has performed satisfactorily since its remediation.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08824983
• Corporate Authors:

  Industrial Fabrics Association International

  345 Cedar Building, Suite 450
  St Paul, MN  United States  55101-1088
• Authors:
  • Reuter, G
  • Rutz, J
• Publication Date: 2000-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: p. 42-43
• Serial:
  • Geotechnical Fabrics Report
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Industrial Fabrics Association International
  • ISSN: 0882-4983

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Backfill soils; Construction; Deterioration; Drainage blankets; Embankments; Expanded plastics; Icing; Installation; Landslides; Oil spills; Petroleum; Polystyrene; Sand; Slope failure; Slope stability
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Materials; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I35: Miscellaneous Materials; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00800636
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 19 2000 12:00AM