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2004 Millpress, Rotterdam, ISBN 90 5966 009 9
H. Mattsson
GeoVista AB, Lule, Sweden
Keywords: seismic test, cross-hole tomography, clay, undrained shear strength, strength increase, embankment
ABSTRACT: There is a great demand to utilise the shear strength increase resulting from consolidation beneath
old embankments on soft soils when these structures are to be widened, raised or subjected to heavier or faster
traffic loads. There are often no records of the loads and settlements, and access to the embankment for traditional
geotechnical investigations is often restricted, particularly in the case of railway embankments. The method of
seismic cross-hole tomography in order to estimate the increase in shear strength has therefore been tested
beneath a number of well documented test embankments. The results have been shown to provide a good general
picture of the shear strength beneath the embankments, in addition to fairly good estimates of the actual magnitudes
of the shear strengths.
BACKGROUND
HYPOTHESIS
10
20
30
40
1967
1979
2002
10
12
14
16
10
15
20
25
Original depth, m
Original depth, m
1945
6
10
12
Natural ground
14
crest was only 4 metres wide and the base 8.5 metres
wide. The depth of the clay layers at this location was
about 15 metres. The total settlements in 2002
amounted to about 1.1 metres, of which about 0.2 metre
is related to horizontal movements in the subsoil. Due
to the narrow embankment and the load distribution,
the compression of the soil layers is mainly confined
to the upper half of the soil profile. According to the
estimated changes in water content, the compression
of the soil is fairly evenly distributed down to an
original depth of 89 metres, whereas results from
oedometer tests and shear strength tests indicate that
this limit is located at 78 metres depth, Fig. 3.
10
15
20
Original depth, m
10
12
Natural ground
Toe of slope
Centre of fill
Direct simple shear test
504 cu
wL
16
25
14
G = Vs2
G0
TEST METHOD
Proceedings ISC2 on Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization, Viana da Fonseca & Mayne (eds.)
973
TEST RESULTS
Proceedings ISC2 on Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization, Viana da Fonseca & Mayne (eds.)
975
Fig. 5. Contour plot of the tomograms from the circular test fill and natural soil at the Sk-Edeby site.
Fig. 6. Contour plot of the tomograms from the road-like test embankment and natural soil at the Sk-Edeby site.
Fig. 7. Contour plot of the tomograms from the square test fill and natural soil at Lilla Mellsa.
976
cu 2
V
= cu1 s 2
V s1
10
20
30
40
50
Corrected depth, m
10
12
14
a)
Fig. 8. Evaluated undrained shear strength using the undrained
shear strength in natural ground and the amplification estimated
from the measured shear wave velocities.
a) At the circular fill at Sk-Edeby
where
cu2 = undrained shear strength beneath loaded area
cu1 = undrained shear strength in natural ground
Vs2 = shear wave velocity beneath loaded area
Vs1 = shear wave velocity in natural ground
The evaluated shear wave velocities in natural
ground and beneath the loaded areas suggest that an
increase in shear wave velocity has occurred
throughout the profiles beneath the large fills. This
increase is large at the top but decreases with depth.
Beneath the narrow embankment at Sk-Edeby, there
is a significant increase in velocity down to 4 metres
depth. The effect probably extends down to 67 metres
Proceedings ISC2 on Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization, Viana da Fonseca & Mayne (eds.)
977
10
20
30
Corrected depth, m
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
10
12
14
REFERENCES
b)
10
15
20
25
0
2
Corrected depth, m
4
6
8
10
12
14
c)
CONCLUSION
40
16