BRIDGE APPROACH SUPPORTED ON EMBANKMENT PILES

Sek-Kwan Tang and Thian-Loke Lim1

ABSTRACT Building a high embankment on soft alluvial deposits within the constraint of a short construction period has always posed challenges to geotechnical engineers. Other than stability, settlement of the embankment has to be controlled. In the construction of a bridge embankment project in Singapore, embankment piles were used to ensure the stability of an embankment during construction, and to reduce and control subsequent settlements of the embankment. A system of embankment piles, integrating a flat slab, capping beams and geotextile was constructed. The capping beam-pile system that was implemented differs from the conventional practice where piles with individual pile caps are used. The capping beams were constructed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the embankment. This paper describes the study on the load transfer of the road embankment supported on embankment piles. The loads on the capping beams and soft ground were recorded and compared with theoretical analyses, based on equilibrium of semicylindrical sand arches. The field results showed reasonable agreement with the theoretical model. The comparison between the field results is also discussed in the paper. INTRODUCTION Soft marine and peaty clays of very low shear strength and high compressibility have been posing numerous foundation problems in Singapore. Embankment fills on such clays are often associated with potentially large ground movements and stability problems. When an embankment is formed on these clays, which have very low shear strengths, the increased stresses in the soft soil strata may lead to a deep-seated slip failure, causing large ground deformations. Piles are sometimes used as a ground improvement technique, in order to support the embankment fill. The aim is to transfer a portion of the weight of the embankment fill through the piles onto deeper and more competent strata. With the partial weight transfer of the overburden, the stresses acting on the soft ground will be reduced, thereby leading to greater stability and less settlement of the embankment fill. Embankment piles with individual pile caps are used extensively in Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries, and in Southeast Asia to support fill, light structures and bridge abutments. The first large-scale piled embankment in Singapore, as reported by Tan et al (1985), was implemented by the Public Works Department for the Newton Flyover project in 1979, where articulated approach slabs were also first introduced. Chemically-treated 125mm x 125mm timber piles, spaced at not more than 2m centres, were used to support the 3.5m-high approach embankment constructed over thick deposits of soft clays comprising peat and marine clay. Since then, embankment piles have been used successfully in a number of road projects in Singapore, namely the Jalan Toa Payoh/Central Expressway (CTE) Flyover, CTE/Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, CTE over Sungei Whampoe, CTE/Balestier Road Flyover and Still Road/ECP Interchange. These piled embankment systems have performed satisfactorily with no apparent significant differential settlement observed at the embankments. In this paper, a case study of a piled embankment is highlighted. The project involved the construction of a dual 3-lane arterial road in Yio Chu Kang, Singapore with a vehicular bridge crossing the Sungei Tongkang. A stretch of the carriageway required the construction of a 3 to 5-metre high embankment at the bridge approach abutment, overlying a soft peaty clay/sand layer of between 5 and 10 metres thick. Piles were used to support the embankment.
1

Sek-Kwan Tang and Thian-Loke Lim, PWD Consultants Pte Ltd, 5 Maxwell Road, #10-00 Tower Block, MND Complex, Singapore 069110.

GROUND CONDITIONS AT THE SITE Based on the site investigation results, the subsoils consist of a 5 to 10 metres thick peaty clay/sand layer, which is located directly below the ground level. The peaty clay/sand materials are alluvial deposits of the Kallang Formation formed in the Holocene period. Underlying the peaty clay/sand layer is the Old Alluvium, which is formed in the period of Pleistocene. The soils in the Old Alluvium are mainly cemented to semi-cemented dense silty/clayey sand and clayey silt, and with low permeability. Upper portions of the Old Alluvium are generally weathered and less competent compared to its deeper portions. Figure 1 shows a soil profile of the ground condition at the site. Table 1 summarises the engineering properties of the subsoils. Table 1: Values of soil parameters
Type of Materials Fill Peaty Clay Peaty Sand Old Alluvium
(kN/m3)

E
(kN/m2)

Su
(kN/m2)

28o 30o 35o

Ko 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.9

18 14 16 20

12,000 4,000 10,000

100,000

40 10 0
100 to 200

Figure 1 : General Soil Profile ADVANTAGES OF USING EMBANKMENT PILES In the event that soil improvement was not carried out on the existing ground, it was envisaged that the embankment would settle significantly and cause lateral spreading of the soft subsoil. Firstly, the piled foundation of the bridge abutment will be subjected to large lateral pressures from the soft subsoil, and this may lead to failure of the piles. Secondly, differential settlements between the bridge structure and the embankment will occur, in which case, subsequent topping-up of the embankment will be required. Hence, embankment piles were recommended as a soil improvement method for this site. This option was selected based on the following merits: The piles will provide direct support to the embankment by means of arching action between the capping beams; The geotextile, that is laid over the capping beams, will provide support and prevent lateral spreading of the embankment; The piles will reinforce and stiffen the underlying soft subsoil; and The cost-effectiveness of the method, particularly when rapid construction is required. DESCRIPTION OF THE PILED EMBANKMENT A system of embankment piles, integrating a flat slab, capping beams and geotextile was explored. The capping beams were constructed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the embankment (Figure 2). This arrangement differs from the usual practice where piles with individual square caps are used. The system of capping beams and geotextile was used for the purpose of creating a transition zone between the flat slab and the portion of embankment piles with capping beams only. In this respect, the settlements would be controlled, and increased gradually from almost zero at the bridge abutment to an allowable magnitude at the portion of the embankment piles with capping beams, thus ensuring a smooth vehicular ride. Figure 2 also shows a longitudinal section of the piled embankment. A sand layer of 2 metres thick was placed above the embankment piles with capping beams. Sandy soils were considered to be more suitable and effective than cohesive soils, in order to create a 'continuum' for the arching action to form above the capping beams. The sand layer was compacted to relative densities of at least 65%, which is judged to be a medium dense to dense condition. Generally, a dense sand layer would be preferable, as the effect of arching would be at its optimum. Hence, a higher proportion of weight of the embankment would be borne by the piles and lower stresses would then be transferred onto the soft subsoil.

Figure 2 : A system of Embankment Piles, Integrating a Flat Slab, Capping Beams and Geotextile FIELD INSTRUMENTATION AND MONITORED RESULTS A system of geotechnical instrumentation was implemented for the project. The purpose was to monitor the ground behaviour and the load transfer of the embankment fill to the piles during the embankment filling operation. The following instruments were installed: (a) Three inclinometers were installed up to a depth of about 20 metres. The monitored results showed that the maximum lateral movement was 20mm, which is not significant. This confirmed that there was little or no lateral spreading of the soft subsoil as the embankment was constructed. (b) Two water standpipes were installed up to a depth of about 9 metres. The readings showed that the ground water level was located at about 2 metres below the original ground level. (c) Four pneumatic piezometers were installed into the soft peaty clayey stratum. The monitored results showed that the increase in porewater pressures was less than 10kN/m2. This implied that the additional stresses acting on the soft ground were small, because a significant part of the weight of the overburden above the soft ground has been transferred, through arching, onto the piles. Hence, ground deformations, i.e. differential settlements, were averted. (d) Six settlement plates were installed at the interface between the embankment fill and the original ground level. The monitored results showed that the settlements were generally between 15 and 20 millimetres only. Hence, large differential settlements between the bridge structure and the embankment will not occur, in which case, subsequent topping-up of the embankment will not be required. The measured settlement readings were within the performance criteria of the carriageway. (e) Load cells were installed in between the capping beams and the top of the piles. Their average readings are summarised in Figure 3. Based on the load cells measurement, the proportion of weight of the embankment borne by embankment piles without geotextile was 55%, while it was 75% when geotextile was used. It can be observed from Figure 3 that the geotextile was only mobilised after an average of 6 tons of sandfill were recorded at each of the instrumented piles. Based on site records, this corresponds to a fill thickness of about 0.8m above the capping beam level.

30.00

25.00

20.00

15.00

10.00

5.00

0.00

Days
With Geotextile Without Geotextile

Figure 3 : Load Cell Readings THEORETICAL ANALYSIS Terzaghi (1943) defined arching effect as the transfer of pressure from a yielding mass of soil onto adjoining stationary parts. By placing sand above a platform that contained a narrow strip of trapdoor, Terzaghi (1936) showed that when the trapdoor was lowered slightly, the pressure on the door decreased greatly whereas the pressure on the adjoining parts of the platform increased. This was attributed to the shearing stresses between the moving (yielding) sand mass and the adjoining stationary sand mass, which resisted the descent of the mass of sand located above the yielding trapdoor. The pressure formerly exerted on the trapdoor was thus transferred onto the adjoining stationary platform, a phenomenon Terzaghi called arching. Other researches in connection to soil arching were studied by Atkinson and Potts (1977) and Bolton (1979) on the stability of tunnels, while Koutsabeloulis and Griffiths (1989) numerically modelled the trapdoor problem using finite element method, and Hewlett and Randolph (1988) investigated arching in sand above piles with individual caps. In a recent study by Tang (1992), normal-gravity (1g) model tests and theoretical analysis have been conducted to investigate the arching in embankments supported by capping beams on soft ground. The experimental results and analytical solution have also been reported by Low et al (1994). In the current

 
  


   

     

 

 
    


    

is the unit weight and H is the thickness of fill. The pressure on the soft ground is reduced and that on the capping beams is increased because the soft ground is more compressible relative to the pile-supported capping beams. Unlike an externally controlled trap door, the differential settlement that induces arching in piled embankments is itself affected by the extent of arching, which determines the load acting on the soft ground. A term, Efficacy, is used to assess the degree of arching in a sand fill given as follows: Efficacy = P L x 100% AH (1)

where PL = uniform distributed load on capping beam; A = tributary area of one capping beam per metre run;
      
       
 

 
   
  

Efficacy is therefore the percentage by weight of the sand fill carried by the capping beams. The definition of efficacy follows that of Hewlett and Randolph (1988). This parameter has a value equal to the area ratio (a/A) even when there is no arching effect (where a is the area of one capping beam between centres of supporting piles).

In the analysis by Tang (1992), a semicylindrical sand arch with a thickness equal to half the width of the capping beam has been considered (Figure 4). To allow for possible nonuniform vertical stress on the soft    

   
  

  s 
      
 

!s') acting on the soft ground (Figure 5). The efficacy of the capping beam, i.e. the proportion of the weight of the fill carried by the capping beam, is:
E =1 (s - b) s

s
H
+ (1 -
K p (1 s s )] 2H 2H(K p - 2)

(2)

E = 1-  [

(K p - 1)(1 -
) s
2

(3)

2H(K p - 2)

The equation is valid for H/s 0.5. The full derivation of the above solution could be found in Tang (1992) and Low et al (1994). Equations and charts are also developed by Tang (1992) to estimate the strain in geotextile that is laid over the capping beams. Due to limited space of the paper, the details and derivation for the estimation of the strain in geotextile design would not be elaborated here.

Figure 4 : Sand Arches

Figure 4 : Sand Arches on Capping Beams

Figure 5 : Parameter

COMPARISON OF MONITORED RESULTS WITH THEORETICAL ANALYSIS The maximum efficacies of the piled Table 2 : Theoretical and Measured Efficacies embankment without geotextile obtained Theoretical Results Site Measurement from site measurement (Eqn. 1) and from =1 = 0.75 theoretical analysis (Eqn. 3) are compared in Table 2. When equals to 1, the Efficacy (%) 55% 40% 55% theoretical results underestimates the efficacy of the site measurements. However, for equals to 0.75, the theoretical results agree very well with the results obtained from site measurement. Based on model tests conducted by Tang (1992), an value of 0.8 leads to good agreement between theoretical efficacy and efficacy calculated from model tests. The results from the site measurement and model tests verified the need for the coefficient to convert the non-uniform stress on the soft ground into an equivalent uniform stress. Hence, an value of between 0.7 and 0.8 appears to be a reasonable value.

Analysis of arching on pile with Table 3 : Efficacies for Continuous and Individual Pile Caps individual pile caps was discussed by Hewlett and Randolph (1988). Using their Theoretical Results equations derived to estimate the efficacy for Square Pilecaps Site Measurement of piles with individual pile caps, the Spaced at 3.2m c/c efficacies for both the continuous capping 55% 40% beams and individual pile caps, with a Efficacy (%) similar area ratio and an equivalent square grid spacing, are compared in Table 3. In this case study, the comparison shows that the efficacy for the piled embankment system with capping beams is higher that a piled embankment that has individual pile caps with a similar area ratio. It can also reduce the problem of irregular embankment surface by providing greater support. Moreover, the additional advantage of the continuous capping beams is that it can provide horizontal restraints to the piles. CONCLUSIONS Concrete embankment piles were used successfully to support an embankment over soft soils. To increase the efficacy of the embankment piles and therefore, the piles effectiveness in transferring the weight of the embankment fill onto the deeper and more competent soil strata below the soft soils, capping beams were constructed. The capping beams were constructed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the embankment, i.e. in the direction of the slip. Besides contributing directly to an increase in the efficacy of the embankment piles, the capping beams also served to increase the capacity of the embankment piles in resisting lateral forces due to the unsupported portion of the embankment fill. The stability of the embankment has been improved by the piles, and the piled embankment has performed satisfactorily. REFERENCES Atkinson, J.H. and Potts, D.M. (1977), Stability of a Shallow Circular Tunnel in Cohesionless Soil, Geotechnique, Vol. 27, No 2, pp. 203-215. Bolton, M. (1979), A Guide to Soil Mechanics, Macmillan Press Ltd, London. Hewlett, W.J., and Randolph, M.F. (1988), Analysis of Piled Embankment, Ground Engineering, Vol. 22, No 3, April, pp. 1218. Koutsabeloulis, N.C. and Griffiths, D.V. (1989), Numerical Modelling of the Trap Door Problem, Geotechnique, Vol. 39, No 1, pp. 77-89. Low, B.K., Tang, S.K., and Choa, V. (1994) Arching in Piled Embankments, ASCE, Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Vol.120, No.11, Nov, pp. 19171938. Tan, S.B., Tan, S.L., Yang, K.S., and Chin, Y.K. (1985), Soil Improvement Methods in Singapore, Proc. 3rd Int. Geotech Seminar, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, pp. 249272. Tang, S.K. (1992), Arching in Piled Embankments, Master of Engineering Thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Terzaghi, K. (1936), Stress Distribution in Dry and in Saturated Sand Above a Yielding Trap-door, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Cambridge, Mass, 22 26 June, Vol. 1, pp. 307 311.