Internal erosion in dikes alongside roads and railways

Abstract

The internal erosion of soil results from seepage flow. It appears to be the main cause of severe hydraulic failure for dikes alongside roads and railways. All around the world, 46% of embankments present a risk of internal erosion. Three main processes can be identified: backward erosion, concentrated leak and suffusion. Suffusion is the process where the fine particles of the soil are eroded. This paper presents a new experimental device named Cross Erosion Test (CET). The test consists of the injection, in a first drilling, of clear water and the recovery, in another drilling, of water charged with particles. Preliminary experimental results show the possibility to characterize internal suffusion into a specific soil. This technique can be transposable, in-situ, to consider risks of internal erosion in earthworks and then prevent casualties.