scholarly journals Numerical study of the application of capillary barrier systems for prevention of rainfall-induced slope instabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 01027
Author(s):  
Riccardo Scarfone ◽  
Simon J. Wheeler ◽  
Colin C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Suction Control ◽  
Fine Grained Soil ◽  
Improved Stability ◽  
Slope Instabilities

Slope instability is often caused by decreases in suction due to heavy and prolonged rainfall. In this study, the application of capillary barrier systems (CBSs) for suction control and slope stabilization purposes (i.e. reducing the risk of rainfall-induced slope instabilities) is analysed, due to their capacity to limit the percolation of water into the underlying soil. The behaviour of two slopes was studied numerically: a bare slope made of fine-grained soil and the same slope covered by a capillary barrier system. The time evolution of suction in the slopes subjected to realistic atmospheric conditions was studied by performing numerical finite element analyses with Code_Bright. In particular, multi-phase multi-physics thermo-hydraulic analyses were performed, modelling the soil-atmosphere interaction over periods of many years. Suction and degree of saturation distributions obtained from these analyses were then exported to the software LimitState GEO, which was used to perform limit analysis to assess the stability of the slopes. The CBS was able to limit the percolation of water into the slope and was shown to be effective in increasing the minimum values of suction attained in the underlying ground, resulting in improved stability of the slope.

Analyses of water diversion along inclined covers with capillary barrier effects

2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1146-1164 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Aubertin ◽  
E. Cifuentes ◽  
S. A. Apithy ◽  
B. Bussière ◽  
J. Molson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Water Diversion ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Fine Grained Soil ◽  
Cover Systems ◽  
Recharge Rates

Various types of cover systems can be used to control water infiltration into waste disposal sites. One promising option is to combine different types of soil to create a layered cover with capillary barrier effects (CCBE). A CCBE basically involves the placement of a relatively fine-grained soil, which acts as a water-retention layer, over a coarser capillary break material. On slopes, a CCBE promotes lateral water diversion. Inclined CCBEs, however, are relatively complex, as their behaviour is influenced by numerous factors. In this paper, the authors present the key results obtained from a numerical investigation into the response of steeply inclined CCBEs. The study evaluates the behaviour of covers under dry and humid climatic conditions. After a review of the physical processes and background studies, the paper presents simulation results that demonstrate the effect of key factors on the diversion length of covers, including layer thicknesses, material properties, and recharge rates. The results shown here indicate that increasing the thickness of the cover may improve its efficiency, but only up to a certain maximum beyond which the gain becomes minimal. These results should be of help to those involved in the design of inclined CCBEs.

Insulation covers with capillary barrier effects to control sulfide oxidation in the Arctic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Boulanger-Martel ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Jean Côté
Keyword(s):  
Sulfide Oxidation ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Suitable Material ◽  
Experimental Cell ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Term Performance

Insulation covers can be used for the reclamation of tailings storage facilities located in the Arctic. However, this approach can be vulnerable to changes in climatic conditions as its long-term performance is strictly based on controlling the temperature of tailings. A more robust alternative could be the use of insulation covers with capillary barrier effects because they control both the tailings temperature and oxygen flux. This study assesses the potential for an insulation cover with capillary barrier effects using laboratory tests and a field experimental cell. Material characterization indicated that the fine-grained compacted waste rock is a suitable material for constructing a moisture-retaining layer. A 2-m-thick field experimental cell was constructed in which temperatures and unfrozen volumetric water contents were monitored for 3.5 years. Results showed thaw depths periodically reaching the reactive tailings and temperatures at the tailings-cover interface greater than 0 °C for 39 to 57 days each year. The degree of saturation in the moisture-retaining layer was almost always greater than 80-85% when temperatures at the tailings-cover interface exceeded 0 °C. Yearly oxygen fluxes passing through the moisture-retaining layer were calculated to be less than 2 mol/m<sup>2</sup>/yr, thus confirming the effectiveness of the cover as an oxygen barrier.

scholarly journals Numerical modelling of the response of an unsaturated silty soil under wetting and gravitational loading processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 02012
Author(s):  
Giada M. Rotisciani ◽  
Leonardo M. Lalicata ◽  
Augusto Desideri ◽  
Francesca Casini
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
State Variables ◽  
Soil Response ◽  
Silty Soil ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Pile Installation ◽  
Centrifuge Tests ◽  
Gravitational Loading ◽  
Fine Grained Soil ◽  
Laterally Loaded

This paper presents the results of a numerical study aiming at simulating the response of an unsaturated fine-grained soil under wetting and gravitational loading processes. This study is based on the results of some centrifuge tests carried out to assess the influence of partial saturation on the laterally loaded pile response. The hydro-mechanical behaviour of the silty soil is described using a constitutive model adapted to unsaturated conditions. The model predictions are compared with the measurements provided by LVDTs and laser transducers in the first phases of the experimental study. Besides validating the model, the numerical study aimed at investigating the influence of the after-compaction conditions on both the displacement field and the evolution of the more significant state variables during imbibition and gravitational loading processes. Finally, an additional analysis is conducted to determine the effects of the pile installation on the soil response.

scholarly journals Modeling the Compaction Characteristics of Fine-Grained Soils Blended with Tire-Derived Aggregates

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7737
Author(s):  
Amin Soltani ◽  
Mahdieh Azimi ◽  
Brendan C. O’Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Energy Levels ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Unit Weight ◽  
Power Functions ◽  
Compaction Characteristics ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Practical Procedure ◽  
Fine Grained Soil

This study aims at modeling the compaction characteristics of fine-grained soils blended with sand-sized (0.075–4.75 mm) recycled tire-derived aggregates (TDAs). Model development and calibration were performed using a large and diverse database of 100 soil–TDA compaction tests (with the TDA-to-soil dry mass ratio ≤ 30%) assembled from the literature. Following a comprehensive statistical analysis, it is demonstrated that the optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry unit weight (MDUW) for soil–TDA blends (across different soil types, TDA particle sizes and compaction energy levels) can be expressed as universal power functions of the OMC and MDUW of the unamended soil, along with the soil to soil–TDA specific gravity ratio. Employing the Bland–Altman analysis, the 95% upper and lower (water content) agreement limits between the predicted and measured OMC values were, respectively, obtained as +1.09% and −1.23%, both of which can be considered negligible for practical applications. For the MDUW predictions, these limits were calculated as +0.67 and −0.71 kN/m3, which (like the OMC) can be deemed acceptable for prediction purposes. Having established the OMC and MDUW of the unamended fine-grained soil, the empirical models proposed in this study offer a practical procedure towards predicting the compaction characteristics of the soil–TDA blends without the hurdles of performing separate laboratory compaction tests, and thus can be employed in practice for preliminary design assessments and/or soil–TDA optimization studies.

scholarly journals Changes in ground deformation prior to and following a large urban landslide in La Paz, Bolivia revealed by advanced InSAR

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas J. Roberts ◽  
Bernhard T. Rabus ◽  
John J. Clague ◽  
Reginald L. Hermanns ◽  
Marco-Antonio Guzmán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Deformation ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Slope Instability ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
La Paz ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Measured Displacement ◽  
Optical Satellite Images ◽  
Displacement Patterns

Abstract. We characterize and compare creep preceding and following the 2011 Pampahasi landslide (∼ 40 Mm3 ± 50 %) in the city of La Paz, Bolivia, using spaceborne RADAR interferometry (InSAR) that combines displacement records from both distributed and point scatterers. The failure remobilised deposits of an ancient landslide in weakly cemented, predominantly fine-grained sediments and affected ∼ 1.5 km2 of suburban development. During the 30 months preceding failure, about half of the toe area was creeping at 3–8 cm/a and localized parts of the scarp area showed displacements of up to 14 cm/a. Changes in deformation in the 10 months following the landslide are contrary to the common assumption that stress released during a discrete failure increases stability. During that period, most of the landslide toe and areas near the headscarp accelerated, respectively, to 4–14 and 14 cm/a. The extent of deformation increased to cover most, or probably all, of the 2011 landslide as well as adjacent parts of the slope and plateau above. The InSAR-measured displacement patterns – supplemented by field observations and by optical satellite images – indicate that kinematically complex, steady-state creep along pre-existing sliding surfaces temporarily accelerated in response to heavy rainfall, after which the slope quickly achieved a slightly faster and expanded steadily creeping state. This case study demonstrates that high-quality ground-surface motion fields derived using spaceborne InSAR can help to characterize creep mechanisms, quantify spatial and temporal patterns of slope activity, and identify isolated small-scale instabilities. Characterizing slope instability before, during, and after the 2011 Pampahasi landslide is particularly important for understanding landslide hazard in La Paz, half of which is underlain by similar, large paleolandslides.

scholarly journals Assessment for Thermal Conductivity of Frozen Soil Based on Nonlinear Regression and Support Vector Regression Methods

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Fu-Qing Cui ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Yun Liu ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jian-bing Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Support Vector Regression ◽  
Nonlinear Regression ◽  
Prediction Accuracy ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Frozen Soil ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Soil Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Fine Grained Soil

The comprehensive understanding of the variation law of soil thermal conductivity is the prerequisite of design and construction of engineering applications in permafrost regions. Compared with the unfrozen soil, the specimen preparation and experimental procedures of frozen soil thermal conductivity testing are more complex and challengeable. In this work, considering for essentially multiphase and porous structural characteristic information reflection of unfrozen soil thermal conductivity, prediction models of frozen soil thermal conductivity using nonlinear regression and Support Vector Regression (SVR) methods have been developed. Thermal conductivity of multiple types of soil samples which are sampled from the Qinghai-Tibet Engineering Corridor (QTEC) are tested by the transient plane source (TPS) method. Correlations of thermal conductivity between unfrozen and frozen soil has been analyzed and recognized. Based on the measurement data of unfrozen soil thermal conductivity, the prediction models of frozen soil thermal conductivity for 7 typical soils in the QTEC are proposed. To further facilitate engineering applications, the prediction models of two soil categories (coarse and fine-grained soil) have also been proposed. The results demonstrate that, compared with nonideal prediction accuracy of using water content and dry density as the fitting parameter, the ternary fitting model has a higher thermal conductivity prediction accuracy for 7 types of frozen soils (more than 98% of the soil specimens’ relative error are within 20%). The SVR model can further improve the frozen soil thermal conductivity prediction accuracy and more than 98% of the soil specimens’ relative error are within 15%. For coarse and fine-grained soil categories, the above two models still have reliable prediction accuracy and determine coefficient (R2) ranges from 0.8 to 0.91, which validates the applicability for small sample soils. This study provides feasible prediction models for frozen soil thermal conductivity and guidelines of the thermal design and freeze-thaw damage prevention for engineering structures in cold regions.

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Fine-Grained Soil in the Zhejiang-Fujian Coastal Area, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Qin Xu ◽  
Pei-Ying Li ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Le-Jun Liu ◽  
Cheng-Xiao Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
Physical And Mechanical Properties ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Fine Grained Soil

scholarly journals Centrifuge testing of soil–structure interaction effects on cyclic failure potential of fine-grained soil

2021 ◽  
pp. 875529302098197
Author(s):  
Jason M Buenker ◽  
Scott J Brandenberg ◽  
Jonathan P Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Soil Structure Interaction ◽  
Centrifuge Testing ◽  
Geotechnical Centrifuge ◽  
Structure Interaction ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Stiffness Properties ◽  
Fine Grained Soil ◽  
Strip Footings

We describe two experiments performed on a 9-m-radius geotechnical centrifuge to evaluate dynamic soil–structure interaction effects on the cyclic failure potential of fine-grained soil. Each experiment incorporated three different structures with a range of mass and stiffness properties. Structures were founded on strip footings embedded in a thin layer of sand overlying lightly overconsolidated low-plasticity fine-grained soil. Shaking was applied to the base of the model container, consisting of scaled versions of recorded earthquake ground motions, sweep motions, and step waves. Data recorded during testing were processed and published on the platform DesignSafe. We describe the model configuration, sensor information, shaking events, and data processing procedures and present selected processed data to illustrate key model responses and to provide a benchmark for data use.

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