Authors: Kelln, Curtis; Sharma, Jitendra; Hughes, David; Graham, James

Source: Canadian Geotechnical Journal, Volume 46, Number 3, March 2009 , pp. 357-368(12)

Publisher: NRC Research Press

Abstract:

A new elastic-viscoplastic (EVP) soil model has been used to simulate the measured deformation response of a soft estuarine soil loaded by a stage-constructed embankment. The simulation incorporates prefabricated vertical drains installed in the foundation soils and reinforcement installed at the base of the embankment. The numerical simulations closely matched the temporal changes in surface settlement beneath the centerline and shoulder of the embankment. More importantly, the elastic-viscoplastic model simulated the pattern and magnitudes of the lateral deformations beneath the toe of the embankment— a notoriously difficult aspect of modelling the deformation response of soft soils. Simulation of the excess pore-water pressure proved more difficult because of the heterogeneous nature of the estuarine deposit. Excess pore-water pressures were, however, mapped reasonably well at three of the six monitoring locations. The simulations were achieved using a small set of material constants that can easily be obtained from standard laboratory tests. This study validates the use of the EVP model for problems involving soft soil deposits beneath loading from a geotechnical structure.

Un nouveau modèle de sol élasto-visco-plastique (EVP) a été utilisé pour mesurer la déformation d'un sol mou d'estuaire lorsque soumis à des charges de remblai construit par étapes. La simulation inclus des drains verticaux préfabriqués installés dans la fondation, et des armatures installés à la base du remblai. Les simulations numériques correspondent aux variations dans le temps des tassements de surface sous la ligne centrale et l'épaulement du remblai. Un aspect encore plus important du modèle élasto-visco-plastique est qu'il a pu simuler le schéma et la magnitude des déformations latérales sous le pied du remblai, ce qui est considéré comme un aspect difficile de la modélisation des déformations de sols mous. La simulation de l'excédent de la pression interstitielle s'est avérée plus difficile en raison de la nature hétérogène des dépôts d'estuaire. L'excédent des pressions interstitielles a cependant été déterminé relativement bien pour trois des six stations. Les simulations ont été effectuées à partir d'un petit nombre de constantes des matériaux qui peuvent être facilement obtenues par des essais en laboratoire typiques. Cette étude valide donc l'utilisation d'un modèle EVP pour des problèmes impliquant des sols mous soumis à un chargement provenant d'une structure géotechnique.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2009-03-01

More about this publication?

• Published since 1963, this monthly journal features articles, notes, and discussions related to new developments in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, and applied sciences. The topics of papers written by researchers, theoreticians, and engineers/scientists active in industry include soil and rock mechanics, material properties and fundamental behaviour, site characterization, foundations, excavations, tunnels, dams and embankments, slopes, landslides, geological and rock engineering, ground improvement, hydrogeology and contaminant hydrogeology, geochemistry, waste management, geosynthetics, offshore engineering, ice, frozen ground and northern engineering, risk and reliability applications, and physical and numerical modelling. Papers on actual case records from practice are encouraged and frequently featured.
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