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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Peter Helm
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Embankments have been widely used in the construction of transportation and flood defense infrastructure. Embankments constructed from clays experience a suite of weather-driven deterioration processes that lead to a progressive loss of hydromechanical performance that eventually leads to failures whose consequences can be severe and costly. This study aimed to predict the time to failure of aging, deteriorating clay embankments supporting transportation infrastructure. A multi-phase numerical modeling approach developed to simulate the long-term, weather-driven hydromechanical behavior of clay embankments was used to model and simulate the behavior of a number of well-documented embankment failure case histories with known service life and available information to derive the necessary soil properties and climate records. Numerical models were developed for a total of 34 case studies, and numerical simulations were performed to predict the time to failure of the embankments due to progressive, long-term, weather-driven deterioration. Predictions compared wellwith actual times to failure reported for the simulated case studies. Further, geometries of modeled slides compared well with those measured for actual slides. The models offered insights into the conditions associated with failure, such as displacement patterns and pore pressure conditions. It was observed that as near-surface soil experiences cycles of wetting and drying, and accompanying cycles of swelling and shrinkage, irrecoverable swelling accumulates with time causing swelling-induced slides. Overall, the numerical modeling approach was proven effective in producing data necessary to develop deterioration models that could improve infrastructure asset management.
Author(s): Morsy A, Helm P
Publication type: Article
Publication status: In Press
Journal: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Year: 2024
Acceptance date: 19/07/2024
ISSN (print): 1090-0241
ISSN (electronic): 1943-5606
Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
DOI: 10.1061/JGGEFK.GTENG-12842
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