Improved Stability and Consolidation Assessment of Embankments

The current method of assessing embankment and foundation stability used by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and its designers is based on total stress concepts and undrained shear strength theory. However, such methods do not couple pore water pressure generation with the consolidation process and account for gains in shear strength due to pore pressure dissipation in finely bedded soils, such as the Lake Bonneville sediments. This research is geared toward developing the laboratory test procedures, requisite soil properties, in situ techniques, analysis and evaluation approach, and construction monitoring program to implement fully-coupled effective stress evaluations for consolidation and stability assessments of UDOT embankments constructed atop soft foundation soils. Two research sites are associated with this project: (1) an embankment for the SR-77/400 South bridge at approximately 1500 West in Springville, Utah, and (2) embankments at the new I-15 South Layton interchange in Layton, Utah. Construction and post-construction monitoring of embankments at these sites is included in the research scope and will provide data for the analyses to be performed. The overall objectives of this study are as follows: (1) recommend an appropriate fully-coupled soil model to UDOT for implementation in performing fully-coupled effective stress analyses; (2) develop laboratory testing program and procedures to obtain the required soil parameters; (3) develop in situ correlations with selected soil parameters to later obtain key model parameters; (4) validate the approach using existing field/project observations from the research sites and other embankments with high quality monitoring data; (5) develop methods/recommendations for safe rates of embankment placement; (6) recommend the type and amount of instrumentation that should be used to monitor future embankment construction and further validate coupled-effective stress evaluations.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $177902.00
• Contract Numbers:

  09-9106

  UT07.704

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380
• Project Managers:

  Stevens, David

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  College of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112-0561
• Principal Investigators:

  Bartlett, Steven

  Lawton, Evert

• Start Date: 20081201
• Expected Completion Date: 20160301
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 28250

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Embankments; Embankments and retaining walls; Foundations; Geotechnical engineering; Laboratory tests; Monitoring; Pore water pressures; Shear strength; Slope stability; Soft soils
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil properties
• Geographic Terms: Utah
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01560385
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Utah Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 09-9106, UT07.704
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 14 2015 1:00AM