AGS (HK) Seminar on Reclamation

Experience in Soft Ground Engineering

Dr. Jeff Hsi
29th November 2014

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Outline
Soft Soil Behaviour
Characteristics & Issues
Investigation & Interpretation
Design Considerations
Treatment Options
Observational Approach
Risk Management

Soft Soil Behaviour

Build-up of pore water pressure when loaded
Undrained deformation of soil - instantaneous
Dissipation of excess pore water pressure
Increase in effective stress in soil
Consolidation settlement (primary settlement) time dependent
Strength gains in soil
Creep settlement (secondary settlement) long term
Voids
(Water)

Soil
Particles

Saturated Soil

Characteristics & Issues

Soft Soil Characteristics
High compressibility
Low strength
Low permeability
Soft Soil Issues
Excessive ground movement during and post construction
Instability / failure of embankment
Slow consolidation and prolonged settlement time during construction

Characteristics & Issues

Construction Access

BBA

Y2C

CKE

BBA

Characteristics & Issues

Excessive Ground Movement

Y2C

Y2C

Characteristics & Issues

Embankment Failure

Vietnam

Y2C

GUP

Characteristics & Issues

Differential Settlement

Raleigh Deviation

Characteristics & Issues

Differential Settlement

SCCP

Sunshine Motorway

Investigation & Interpretation

Subsurface profile
Drainage boundaries
Groundwater table / piezometric levels
Compressibility
Strength
Hydraulic conductivity (i.e. permeability, coefficient of consolidation)

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Investigation & Interpretation

CPTU PPDT

Y2C

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Investigation & Interpretation

Depth (m)

10

15

20

250

Undrained Shear Strength,

Cu (kPa)
20
40
60
80 1000

OCR
1

5 0

Atterberg Limit (%)

50
100

150 0

Liquidity Index
1
20

cv (m2/yr)
2
4
6

Cr
80

0.02 0.04 0.06 0

C
0.01

0.02

0.03 0

0.2

Cc
0.4

0.6

0.0

0.0

1.0

1.0

2.0

2.0

3.0

3.0

4.0

4.0

5.0

5.0

6.0

6.0

7.0

7.0

8.0

8.0

9.0

9.0

10.0

10.0

11.0

11.0

12.0

12.0

13.0

13.0

14.0

14.0

15.0

15.0

16.0

16.0

17.0

17.0

18.0

18.0

19.0

19.0

20.0

20.0

21.0

21.0

22.0

22.0

23.0

23.0

24.0

24.0

25.0

25.0

26.0
27.0
28.0

Depth (m)

Bulk Density (kN/m3)

26.0
Field Shear Vane
Shear Vane Residual

(Su/Su(NC))^1/m
p' / v'

Moisture Content
Liquid Limit
Plastic Limit

27.0

BAC

12

28.0

Design Considerations
Stability (short & long terms)
Settlement (total & differential)
Construction program / time constraints
Design life and durability
Functionality / serviceability
Maintenance

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Design Considerations
Use of wick drains to speed up consolidation settlement

Dp
No. W. D.
Settlement

Time (log)

t1

t2

With W. D.

t1 << t2
Dp (Max. Drainage Path)

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Design Considerations
Use of surcharge to reduce preload time & long term creep settlement

H
HS

F.S.L.

HF
HS

HF

t1 t2 t3

HF = Preload Height
HS HF = Surcharge Height

t1, t2 < t3

Ss

Ss < Ss

Ss
S

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Design Considerations
Ladd 1989 reduction of C as a result of increase in OCR

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Design Considerations
Use of piles / columns to eliminate settlement and control differential settlement

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Design Considerations
Design Process
Checks
Settlement
Stability

Treatment options

No treatment
Preload & Surcharge
Preload and surcharge with wick drains
Rigid / semi-rigid inclusions

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Treatment Options
Above Ground:
Embankment reinforcement high strength geotextile
Light weight fill geoform, bottom ash
Stabilisation berm
Below Ground:
"Soft" inclusions wick drains, vacuum consolidation, electro-osmosis
"Semi-rigid" inclusions sand compaction piles, stone columns DR/VR, deep
soil mixing
"Rigid" inclusions concrete injected columns, CFA piles, timber piles,
reinforced concrete driven piles
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Treatment Options
Preload, surcharge & wick drains

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Treatment Options
Rigid & semi-rigid inclusions

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Treatment Options
High Strength Geotextile

Y2C

Raleigh Deviation

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Treatment Options
Light Weight Fill

PAVEMENT
UM 150mm THICK LIGHTLY
ORCED CONCRETE SLAB
MINIMUM 200mm
THICK SAND BED

SELECT FILL

MINIMUM 1000mm
AT CENTRE OF ROAD
450mm Dia. CMC PILES
OR EQUIVALENT

EPS-BLOCK GEOFOAM

FOUNDATION SOIL
(WITH FOUNDATION TREATMENT)

WICK

HDPE MEMBRANE
PILE L
CMC CURTAIN WI
CONTROLLED

BAC

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Treatment Options
Stabilising Berm

Y2C

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Treatment Options
Wick Drains

Y2C

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Treatment Options
Vacuum Consolidation
BBA

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Treatment Options
Stone Columns DR

WM7

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Treatment Options
Stone Columns VR

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Treatment Options
Sand Compaction Piles

CKE
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Treatment Options
Deep Soil Mixing

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Treatment Options
Concrete Injected Columns

BH2Y

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Treatment Options
CFA Columns

GUP

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Treatment Options
Driven Piles

CWL

Y2C

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Observational Approach
Instrumentation & monitoring

Settlement plates
Surface pins
Settlement stakes
Piezometers & observation wells
Inclinometers

Performance
Pore pressure dissipation
Rate and magnitude of settlement
Embankment stability

Back analysis
Calibration of geotechnical model
Adjustment of design and construction
Prediction of long term performance

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Observational Approach
Settlement

Instrumented embankment
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Observational Approach
Pore pressure

Lateral soil movement

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Risk Management
Risk Management

Geotechnical investigation
Interpretation

Initial Geotechnical
Investigations

Geotechnical model

Past Experience and

Local Knowledge

First Pass
Design

Design & construction

Construction

Instrumentation & monitoring

Back analysis & calibration of assumptions
Adjustment of design & construction
Prediction of future performance

Additional
Geotechnical
Investigations

Instrumentation &
Monitoring

Trial Embankments

Calibration of Design

Modification of
Construction

Prediction of Long
Term Performance

NG

OK

Finish

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Thank You!
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