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Full-Text Articles in Geotechnical Engineering

Support Over Cavities Of Unknown Depth For An Underground Facility, James A. Larson, Donald P. Richards Jun 1988

Support Over Cavities Of Unknown Depth For An Underground Facility, James A. Larson, Donald P. Richards

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Rock excavation for a 7,200-square-meter building site in Saudi Arabia intercepted a large cavity underlying approximately half the site. Relocation was impossible; therefore, a grouting program was selected to modify the site to accept the allowable design load of 2.1 mega pascals. Due to the extreme depth of the cavity, the modification was limited to a depth of 25 meters under the building.


A Proposed Procedure For The Identification Of Dispersive Soils, H. J. Von M. Harmse, F. A. Gerber Jun 1988

A Proposed Procedure For The Identification Of Dispersive Soils, H. J. Von M. Harmse, F. A. Gerber

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The piping failure of the Senekal dam and many other small dams in South Africa, despite the use of apparently sound material and good control during construction, emphasizes the need for a method to unambiguously identify dispersive soils. Physical and chemical tests of one hundred and seventy soil samples were evaluated against the double hydrometer method, after removal of free salts. The chemical methods based on characterization of the exchange complex (CEC and ESP) gave consistently more reliable results than the physical tests, such as the pinhole, crumb and sticky point tests and even the double hydrometer test when free …


Behaviour Of Inginimitiya Embankment Dam, T. Sivapatham Jun 1988

Behaviour Of Inginimitiya Embankment Dam, T. Sivapatham

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The prominent component of the Inginimitiya Reservoir Project is the Inginirnitiya Darn, This dam with a maximum height of 58 ft. is essentially a homogeneous earthfill embankment except for the slope protection, filter and drainage arrangement. The cut-off for the foundation seepage and the provisions made in the design for seepage control are described in this paper. The reservoir when partially impounded for the first time in 1983 "boiling" (bubbling with fines heaving up) was observed on the downstream at different locations close to the toe of the embankment between chainages 71 and 75. This reach when investigated revealed the …


Coastal Bluff Retreat At Big Lagoon, California, R. C. Chaney, D. C. Tuttle Jun 1988

Coastal Bluff Retreat At Big Lagoon, California, R. C. Chaney, D. C. Tuttle

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Big Lagoon, located 30 miles north of Eureka, California is formed behind a bay barrier built across the mouth of a drowned river valley. To the south of the bay the beach follows rising wave cut slightly cemented sand and gravel sea cliffs and terminates at the south end of Agate Beach. The retreat of these sea cliffs and its effect on property development along the top of the cliff is the focus of the paper. Measurements of bluff retreat in this area have been documented extensively from November 1941 to March 1986 through ground surveys and air photos. Review …


Colbond Drains For Rapid Consolidation At Manggar Besar Dam, M. C. Goel, Achmad Zainiko, J. L. Surabaya Jun 1988

Colbond Drains For Rapid Consolidation At Manggar Besar Dam, M. C. Goel, Achmad Zainiko, J. L. Surabaya

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

7. 3m high and 280 m long Manggar Besar homogeneous earthen dam resting on 12. 0 m thick soft silty clay, is under construction to supply water to the city of Balikpapan in Kalimantan island of Indonesia. To accelerate the anticipated 1. 6 m settlement of dam, 30 cm wide strip type drains (Colbond CX 1000) using polyester no-woven fabric are being used 3m centre to centre. It is expected that 70 percent consolidation shall take place within thirteen months of construction by these drains.


Comprehensive Seepage Assessment: Beaver Dam, Arkansas, J. L. Llopis, C. M. Deaver, D. K. Butler, S. C. Hartung Jun 1988

Comprehensive Seepage Assessment: Beaver Dam, Arkansas, J. L. Llopis, C. M. Deaver, D. K. Butler, S. C. Hartung

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A general philosophy of the role of engineering geology and engineering geophysics in seepage assessment is presented. Practical application of this philosophy is illustrated by a case history. A large dike continues to have anomalous seepage in spite of pre-construction and postconstruction grouting. The dike is founded over a graben of cavernous limestone with about a 200-ft. vertical offset along the bounding fault zones, which are horizontally separated by about 1000 ft. Objectives of the seepage assessment program were to define the geological and hydrological conditions beneath the dike in sufficient detail to allow rational remedial planning. Integration of results …


Construction Of Road Embankments Over Very Soft Soil Using Band Drains And Preloading, John D. Nelson, Brian P. Wrench Jun 1988

Construction Of Road Embankments Over Very Soft Soil Using Band Drains And Preloading, John D. Nelson, Brian P. Wrench

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

As part of a new national road being constructed in South Africa an embankment was built over a deep deposit of very soft soil. To enhance stability the embankment was built in several stages and in order to reduce the time required for consolidation between stages, band drains were installed in the foundation soils. The soils were instrumented to monitor pore water pressure and settlement. The results of the monitoring phase showed that the band drains were effective and operated as designed. This paper presents the results of the monitoring and discusses the prediction of degree of consolidation from settlement …


Construction Problems With An Earth And Rockfill Dam, Hasan Hejazi Jun 1988

Construction Problems With An Earth And Rockfill Dam, Hasan Hejazi

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Earth and rockfill dams became popular in the 1960's primarily because of increased heights of dams, poor foundation conditions that rule out concrete dams, and vast improvements in excavation and vibratory compaction equipment. Such equipment made excavation and processing of rock and placement of rockfill much more economical than in the past. Due to the unique composition and the critical zone construction of earth and rockfill dams, they are subject to different types of problems. Some problems may be discovered and corrected during construction. Such problems cause changes in contract documents and delays in work, as in the case of …


Control Of Surficial Slides By Different Erosion Control Techniques, T. K. Natarajan, A. V. S. R. Murty, Deep Chandra Jun 1988

Control Of Surficial Slides By Different Erosion Control Techniques, T. K. Natarajan, A. V. S. R. Murty, Deep Chandra

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Many natural and embankment slopes fall due to the erosion of the top surficial soil mantle. Denudation of vegetation from soil slopes combined with the further steepening of slopes due to natural and man-made causes such as cuts result in such a type of failure. Essentially, the corrective measures appropriate for stabilizing these slopes comprise erosion control by establishing vegetation on the slope. The methods of vegetative turfing include asphalt mulch, coir/jute netting, geogrids and stone apron techniques. The paper sets forth the case history giving details of some of the relatively new techniques for erosion control on a hill …


Dike Reconstruction Polder Oudendijk, J. A. Van Herpen, J. De Pee Jun 1988

Dike Reconstruction Polder Oudendijk, J. A. Van Herpen, J. De Pee

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Reconstruction of dikes on soft subsoil is a common practice in the Netherlands. However in recent years some slidings of innerslopes have occurred in the execution phase due to very large and rapidly placed replenishments. Therefore investigations have been made for new methods to determine the short term stability of the soil structures. This paper describes the problems experienced during the reconstruction of a polder dike in the western part of the Netherlands, based on which several new methods are tested.


Failure And Repair Of The Slope Of Railway Embankments And Expansive Soils, Zun Jing Ke, Chao-Hai Yong, Yun-Huang Chang Jun 1988

Failure And Repair Of The Slope Of Railway Embankments And Expansive Soils, Zun Jing Ke, Chao-Hai Yong, Yun-Huang Chang

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper mainly discusses the stability of the slope of the four sections of railway embankments of expansive soils, describes their basic condition and the properties of the soil materials, analyzes the types and causes of slope failures, discusses the repair of such slopes, and the remedial measures to prevent recurrent of the slides, and sums up experience of using expansive soils to construct railway embankments.


Failure Of Flood Banks Due To Under Seepage, Arthur Marsland Jun 1988

Failure Of Flood Banks Due To Under Seepage, Arthur Marsland

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Several failures of floodbanks caused by increases in water pressure and seepage in foundation soils during abnormal high floodwater conditions have been investigated. The particular type of failure which occurred depended upon the sequences of the foundation strata, the overall bank profile, and the height and duration of the floodwater. Both rotational and translational slides occurred in banks built on sands, peats and clays with underlaying sandy gravels. Breaches occurred when the cress was sufficiently lowered to allow substantial overtopping or where gaps developed at the ends of the translational slides. Development of erosion pipes in multi-layered soils led to …


Failure Of Railway Embankment, J. Christodoulias, H. Giannaros Jun 1988

Failure Of Railway Embankment, J. Christodoulias, H. Giannaros

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This article deals with the failure of a railway embankment in North Peloponese. The geotechnical investigation that followed aimed to specify the causes of the failure. The results of the above investigation are presented, an evaluation of the causes of failure is discussed and the remedial measures which 'have been taken are thoroughly described.


History Of Tehri Rockfill Dam Design, Bhagwat V. K. Lavania Jun 1988

History Of Tehri Rockfill Dam Design, Bhagwat V. K. Lavania

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A 260.5 m high rockfill dam is one of the main components of Tehri Dam Project which is under construction for the last over seventeen years. During this period detailed site investigations have been carried out and design of the dam is kept under constant review. A number of studies are conducted to provide feasible solutions to anticipated problems. The paper describes main design features of the dam mentioning the changes necessitated time to time with regard to these.


Horizontal And Vertical Movements Of Red Clay Highway Embankments, F. J. Gichaga, F. S. Atibu, B. K. Sahu Jun 1988

Horizontal And Vertical Movements Of Red Clay Highway Embankments, F. J. Gichaga, F. S. Atibu, B. K. Sahu

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The paper presents results of a study of horizontal and vertical movements of five highway embankments made up of red clay (red coffee soil). The highway embankments studied ranged from 4m to 15m in height. The study also involved laboratory testing of the red soils which form these embankments. Results of laboratory tests were used to compute cracking and collapse potentials of the embankments. Results of field investigations showed embankments to suffer horizontal as well as vertical movements. It was further established that in the case of the embankments, whose bituminous pavements had showed severe longitudinal surface cracks, the cracking …


Improvement Of Mechanical Properties Of Soft Soils By Use Of A Pre-Loading Embankment, F. Colleselli, P. Simonini, M. Soranzo Jun 1988

Improvement Of Mechanical Properties Of Soft Soils By Use Of A Pre-Loading Embankment, F. Colleselli, P. Simonini, M. Soranzo

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A preloading embankment, and its foundation soil, have been closely monitored in the Po river delta (Italy). After showing that the complete consolidation of the peaty and clayey soil has taken place, the shear strength increase measured with various tests has been considered and analyzed.


Investigation Of Settlements Of A Trunk Road Embankment In Hong Kong, P. L. R. Pang, Y. C. Chan Jun 1988

Investigation Of Settlements Of A Trunk Road Embankment In Hong Kong, P. L. R. Pang, Y. C. Chan

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A 25 m high fill embankment was constructed as part of a Trunk Road scheme in Hong Kong. In June 1985, large settlements of the order of 250 mm were observed in the embankment. This was followed by a local slippage of surface material from the downstream slope face. To meet the schedule for opening the trunk road in late September, a number of emergency measures costing about HK$1 M (US$0.13 M) were implemented to stabilize the embankment. An investigation was subsequently carried out to assess the cause of the movement and the long term stability of the embankment. This …


Kerrville Ponding Dam, Guadalupe River, Texas, W. R. Stroman, R. R. W. Beene, P. D. Thornhill Jun 1988

Kerrville Ponding Dam, Guadalupe River, Texas, W. R. Stroman, R. R. W. Beene, P. D. Thornhill

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Kerrville Ponding Dam is a relatively small channel dam in the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas. The dam is 22 feet (6.7M) high and 600 feet (183M) long and provides a water supply for the City of Kerrville. The dam was constructed during 1979-1980. Seepage problems in the abutments were observed during the initial filling of the reservoir. Some minor corrections to the problems were made at that time. In June 1981, after a moderate flood flow passed over the dam, additional seepage problems occurred. The downstream slope protection was displaced to the extent that cracks appeared in the concrete. …


Lessons Learned From Case Histories Performance Of Earth Dams, Embankments, And Natural Slopes, M. L. Silver, R. Riccioni Jun 1988

Lessons Learned From Case Histories Performance Of Earth Dams, Embankments, And Natural Slopes, M. L. Silver, R. Riccioni

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

No abstract provided.


Monitoring Of The Canales Dam And Its Control During Construction Period, Javier Andreu Posse, Rafael Portilla Hermosilla, J. M. Martínez Santamaría Jun 1988

Monitoring Of The Canales Dam And Its Control During Construction Period, Javier Andreu Posse, Rafael Portilla Hermosilla, J. M. Martínez Santamaría

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper presents a study of the stress-deformation behaviour of the Canales Dam (Granada) during construction. The basis for this study has been the three dimensional (3D) finite elements method with hyperbolic material response. The analytical procedure used is presented and the study concludes with a comparative study of the results obtained from the calculation programme used and monitoring system's measurements.


Openpit Mine Slope Stability – A Case Study, V. K. Singh, B. D. Baliga, B. Singh Jun 1988

Openpit Mine Slope Stability – A Case Study, V. K. Singh, B. D. Baliga, B. Singh

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

For profitability steep overall slope angle is essential for openpit mines without endangering the safety for the life time of the pit. Openpits have been designed to depths of 150 to 200 metres. For optimum slope angles of the footwall and the hanging wall of a rock phosphate mine, near Udaipur, Rajasthan , geotechnical investigation covering discontinuity mapping, analysis of data, testing of geo-mechanical properties in laboratory and in in-situ condition were conducted. Slope monitoring was done by precise surveying instruments to give advance warning of impending ground movement. On the basis of geotechnical studies the mine has been designed …


Penitas Dam – In Situ Stress-Strain Characteristics Of Materials, Jesús Alberro, Gabriel Macedo, Luis Montañez, Francisco González-Valencia Jun 1988

Penitas Dam – In Situ Stress-Strain Characteristics Of Materials, Jesús Alberro, Gabriel Macedo, Luis Montañez, Francisco González-Valencia

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The deformability properties of all the materials of Penitas Dam (43-m high) are estimated based upon the measurement of total stresses, pore pressures and strains by means of the instrumentation placed inside the embankment. The results of these measurements indicate that all the materials show octahedral stress-octahedral strain cuasilinear relationships as if they were elastic. The values of the deformability moduli E and the Poisson's ratios v computed from these relationships are compared with the moduli E obtained by means of confined plate bearing tests made in situ during construction of the dam, and are also used to feed a …


Performance Of An Earthdam And Cut-Off Through Deep Alluvium, N. H. Wade, L. F. Wei, L. J. Courage, R. A. Keys Jun 1988

Performance Of An Earthdam And Cut-Off Through Deep Alluvium, N. H. Wade, L. F. Wei, L. J. Courage, R. A. Keys

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The main dam at the Bighorn development consists of a zoned earthfill embankment with a concrete cut-off wall constructed through the river alluvium by the slurry trench technique. Upon first filling of the reservoir in 1972, erratic drops in piezometric heads in the alluvium upstream of the cut-off and significant downstream leakage prompted the construction of a weight berm at the downstream toe and implementation of a program of regular monitoring of all piezometers and seepage measuring facilities. Concern for the integrity of the structure was not allayed until completion of a dam safety evaluation in 1984. The paper summarizes …


Problems And Behaviour Of A Dam Founded On A Weak Zone, K. V. Rupchard Jun 1988

Problems And Behaviour Of A Dam Founded On A Weak Zone, K. V. Rupchard

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

Any fault in the foundation of a dam presents a problem which has to be tackled in the proper way considering many aspects. This paper deals with such a foundation problem faced at Upper Aliyar Dam in South India in the shape of a weak zone. Several alternatives were thought of for tackling the weak zone. Ultimately a simple concrete plug with cut-offs was adopted considering the limited working season available and the fairly good in-situ compressive strength of the weak material. This was in preference to a raft foundation or a massive arch. The methods adopted for tackling the …


Remedial Measures To Seepage And Instability Aspect Of A Dam Near Bombay, R. K. Katti, Dinesh R. Katti, Anand R. Katti Jun 1988

Remedial Measures To Seepage And Instability Aspect Of A Dam Near Bombay, R. K. Katti, Dinesh R. Katti, Anand R. Katti

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The paper describes the distress caused to a minor earth dam constructed at a high elevation in a mountainous area to conserve water. The distress related to instability of the dam and also due to high percolation underneath the dam coupled with formation of piping. The remedial measures taken to rectify instability and reduce percolation are described in this paper.


Restoration Of The Stability Of Retaining Wall, T. K. Natarajan, P. Jagannatha Rao Jun 1988

Restoration Of The Stability Of Retaining Wall, T. K. Natarajan, P. Jagannatha Rao

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

The paper sets out the salient features concerning the failure of a retaining wall on a sloping ground. The retaining wall experienced a displacement of about l.50 m both in the downward and outward directions without experiencing any tilt or structural distress. The stability analysis of the slope on which the retaining wall was located, established that the failure was caused by inadequate drainage of the fill resulting in a build up of pore pressures. Four more such retaining wall sections were also analysed. The remedial measures consist of providing adequate drainage using a geotextile - covered filter drain, use …


Seepage Problems And Remedies – Hub Dam, Izhar-Ul-Haq Jun 1988

Seepage Problems And Remedies – Hub Dam, Izhar-Ul-Haq

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

On the first impounding of Hub Dam, seepage problems started. The foundation piezometers showed rising pressures. The areas of concern were limestone, bed rock, jointed sandstone and gravel deposits at overburden-rock contact. Observational approach was followed. It was decided to fill the reservoir in stages. Various alternatives were considered to control the underseepage pressures. Relief Wells were installed which proved effective and economical to control the problem. A gravel shell was added on the downstream slope to enhance the stability of the homogeneous section in case of seepage through the body of the dam.


Settlement Measurements Of Peat Deposits As Embankment Foundation, K. Kogure, K. Matsuo Jun 1988

Settlement Measurements Of Peat Deposits As Embankment Foundation, K. Kogure, K. Matsuo

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A low test embankment have been constructed on a soft and fibrous peat deposits. The thickness of the soft peat layer is about 2.5 m. Under the peat layer, there is silty clay deposit with thickness of about 13m. The site investigations were performed for both the layers. The laboratory soil tests on undisturbed samples obtained from both the layers were carried out. The settlement of foundation deposits was predicted by the one dimensional consolidation theory using the soil parameters obtained from laboratory soil tests. The results of field observations were compared with the calculated results by the conventional theory. …


Testing Of The Homestake Mine Tailings Deposit, Donald R. East, John W. Ransone, William A. Cincilla Jun 1988

Testing Of The Homestake Mine Tailings Deposit, Donald R. East, John W. Ransone, William A. Cincilla

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

This paper discusses the geotechnical investigation of a large gold tailings facility which has been in operation since December 1977. The very thorough test program included 670 m (2200 ft.) of piezocone probing, 65 self-boring pressuremeter tests down to a maximum of 35 m (118 ft.), 60 SPT's and 9 laboratory triaxial tests as well as a well pump test. The study included a detailed geological and seismic study to determine earthquake design parameters and to assess the liquefaction potential of the deposit. Test results were utilized to determine the stability of an upstream constructed embankment employing the sub-aerial method …


The Failure And The Remedial Containment Dike On A Lacustrine Clay, Chitta R. Gangopadhyay, Richard O. Anderson Jun 1988

The Failure And The Remedial Containment Dike On A Lacustrine Clay, Chitta R. Gangopadhyay, Richard O. Anderson

International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering

A compacted silty clay containment dike for a waste slurry holding pond, with a design height of 44 ft. above the pond bottom experienced distress when the construction had reached heights ranging from only 16 to 21.5 ft. The rapid construction rate generated large excess pore water pressure in the saturated lacustrine clay subgrade, the fissured nature of which could not be discerned by the standard sampling and laboratory testing procedures. Lateral transmission of the excess pore pressure caused toe heave and cracking of the dike. Construction was halted and resumed next year. Construction was completed with monitoring of the …