Analytical Calibration Approach to Develop a Seepage Model for the London Avenue Canal Load Test

Abstract

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducted a load test along a portion of the London Avenue Canal as a part of an extensive study following the events of Hurricane Katrina to investigate the performance of I-walls and levees. A 45.7 m (150 ft) long section of the I-wall was hydraulically loaded, and pore pressures and displacements were measured in the vicinity of the I-wall through an extensive instrumentation system. The acquired data were assessed to develop a seepage model that would be applicable to the London Avenue Canal and areas where the soil conditions are similar. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite-element seepage analyses were conducted, a parametric study was performed, and a statistical calibration technique was developed to better estimate the actual field conditions in the numerical modeling. Based on this analysis, soil properties and finite-element boundary conditions are recommended for future analyses of the London Avenue Canal and other canals having similar subsurface conditions.