Performance of reinforced, DMM column-supported embankment considering reinforcement viscosity and subsoil’s decreasing hydraulic conductivity

Abstract

It has been widely accepted that reinforcement made of polyethylene and polypropylene is susceptible to creep and soil’s hydraulic conductivity varies with its void ratio. However, unfortunately there is no available sensitivity analysis on time-dependent embankment behaviour taking either reinforcement viscosity or time varying hydraulic conductivity of subsoil into consideration. The influence of geosynthetic reinforcement viscosity and decreasing hydraulic conductivity with consolidation on the time-dependent performance of embankments with floating columns is investigated using a fully 3D coupled model. For an embankment at the working height corresponding to a post-consolidation polypropylene geotextile strain of about 5%, it is shown that the assumption of constant hydraulic conductivity and the failure to consider the viscous behaviour of geosynthetic reinforcement can underestimate time-dependent embankment deformations (including differential crest settlement and horizontal toe movement). The effects of factors including the foundation soil, reinforcement stiffness, column stiffness, column spacing, column type (floating and fully penetrating), and construction rate, on the time-dependent behaviour of column supported embankments are explored.