Abstract
The understanding of the onset of breaching induced by surface erosion is fundamental to enable definition of the level of protection afforded by embankments and provision of standards for the design of new structures and the upgrading of existing ones. Compacted embankment materials are generally partially saturated due to seasonal variation in the water content. At the onset of the overflow process embankments undergo to a wetting process due to the changes at the outer surface boundary conditions (i.e. overflow). Erosion behaviour is known to be a counterbalance between gravity forces and shear erosion forces. However, as the particle size decreases (i.e. clayey soils), gravitational forces become negligible and electrochemical interaction between particles play a dominant role. Clay microstructure (e.g. particle configuration and inter-particle forces) changes with the hydro-mechanical stresses history. Thus, it is necessary to consider the microstructural changes in particle configuration to understand the influence of microstructure on the macroscopic behaviour of clay during erosion. Upon wetting, clay have a swelling/collapse behaviour. This research presents experimental results on erosion of clay samples compacted at the same initial dry density but with different compaction water content. The influence of different wetting times on erosion is also investigated. We show that for a given as-compacted water content, the longer the wetting stage, and hence the higher the sample water content, the more erodible the samples. Additionally, for samples compacted at the same dry density, the ones compacted on the dry side of optimum are more erodible than samples compacted at the optimum water content, despite the lower water content at formation. We hypothesise that this may be due to the formation of a different initial microstructure in sample on the dry side of optimum (i.e. bi-modal pore size distribution). Our results contribute to the fundamental understanding of time-dependent mechanisms that influence erosion of clay embankments during overflow and, hence, to embankment failure. In addition, these tests show how basic concepts of unsaturated soil mechanics can serve as a guide to ‘design’ the compaction conditions of embankment material.
Highlights
AArerceecnetnrterveiveiwewofo7f 676rerseesrevrovioriirnicnicdiednetnststhtahtaot coccucrurrerdedinin thteheUUKKininthtehepepreioridod2020040-42-0210313hihgihglhiglihgthststhtahtatereorsoisoinon bybyflofloododovoevretortpoppipnigngisisthtehemmaianinmmecehcahnainsimsmofofemembabnakn-kmmenetntdedtetreioriroartaiotinon[1[]1.].ThTeheEnEvnivroirnomnmenetntAAgegnecnycyininthtehe NNataiotinoanlaSl tSratrtaetgeygyofo2f 0210111[2[]2e]setsimtimataetsesthtahtaUt UKKhahsas90900000 kmkmofoflinlienaerarariasiesdedflofloododdedfeefnecnecse,sw, whihcihchmmaianilnylycocnosnisitst ofofsosioliel membabnaknmkmenetnst.s.SiSmimmmeteat la. l.[3[]3,]r,erveiveiwewededthteheimim- papcatctofoffivfievemmajaojrorflofloododeveevnetnstsononthtehseesestsrutrcutcutruersesdudru-rinigngthtehepepreioridod2020070-72-0210616wwithiththtehecocnocnlculsuisoinonthtahtaEt nEgnlgislihsh lelveeveeseswwereererarraerleylybrberaecahcehde,da,nadndthtahtawt whehnenbrberaecahcihnigngdiddid ococcucru, rt,htehedodmominiannatnftafialuilrueremmecehcahnainsimsmwwasasovoevreflroflwowanadnd reraerafrafcaecereorsoisoino,nw, whihcihcharaerethtehnenimimpapcatcetdedfufruthrtehrebrybylolcoaclal irrirergeuglualraitrietise.s.ThTehseeseeaerathrtehnenstsrutrcutcutruersesaraerehihsitsotroicri,cw, withith ananavaevreargaegeagaegeofo1f 21525yeyaerasr,st,hteheolodledsetssttsrutrcutcutruerebebienigng808000 yeyaerasr.sT. hTehieriargaegeinitnrotrdoudcuecseusnucnecretartianitnytyasatsotothtehereraelasltsatautsus ofotfhteheEnEgnlgislihshflofloododdedfeefnecneceinifnrfarsatsrutrcutcutruerenentewtworokrkwwhehnen susbujbejcetcbtobtohthtotosesaesaosnoanlaalnadndexetxretrmeme leolaodaidnigngeveevnetnst.sT. oTorer-edudcuecethtihsisunucnecretartianitnyt,ya, afufnudnadmamenetnatlaul nudnedresrtsatnadnidnigngofotfhtehe onosnesteot fobf rberaecahcihnign-gin-idnudcuecdedsusrufrafcaeceereorsoisoinonisisrerqeuqiureirdedsoso asastotobebtetettredr edfienfienethtehelelveevleslsofopf rportoetcetciotinonaffaoffrodreddedbybyhihsi-s-
Due to a historical dominance of loose boundary hydraulics research, particular effort has been spent in characterizing the hydraulic load applied to a sample by a water impinging jet
The Jet Erosion Test (JET) [7] was chosen since it is commonly applied and the exposed surface of the sample allows a direct comparison with the wetting process that occurs in the field
Summary
AArerceecnetnrterveiveiwewofo7f 676rerseesrevrovioriirnicnicdiednetnststhtahtaot coccucrurrerdedinin thteheUUKKininthtehepepreioridod2020040-42-0210313hihgihglhiglihgthststhtahtatereorsoisoinon bybyflofloododovoevretortpoppipnigngisisthtehemmaianinmmecehcahnainsimsmofofemembabnakn-kmmenetntdedtetreioriroartaiotinon[1[]1.].ThTeheEnEvnivroirnomnmenetntAAgegnecnycyininthtehe NNataiotinoanlaSl tSratrtaetgeygyofo2f 0210111[2[]2e]setsimtimataetsesthtahtaUt UKKhahsas90900000 kmkmofoflinlienaerarariasiesdedflofloododdedfeefnecnecse,sw, whihcihchmmaianilnylycocnosnisitst ofofsosioliel membabnaknmkmenetnst.s.SiSmimmmeteat la. l.[3[]3,]r,erveiveiwewededthteheimim- papcatctofoffivfievemmajaojrorflofloododeveevnetnstsononthtehseesestsrutrcutcutruersesdudru-rinigngthtehepepreioridod2020070-72-0210616wwithiththtehecocnocnlculsuisoinonthtahtaEt nEgnlgislihsh lelveeveeseswwereererarraerleylybrberaecahcehde,da,nadndthtahtawt whehnenbrberaecahcihnigngdiddid ococcucru, rt,htehedodmominiannatnftafialuilrueremmecehcahnainsimsmwwasasovoevreflroflwowanadnd reraerafrafcaecereorsoisoino,nw, whihcihcharaerethtehnenimimpapcatcetdedfufruthrtehrebrybylolcoaclal irrirergeuglualraitrietise.s.ThTehseeseeaerathrtehnenstsrutrcutcutruersesaraerehihsitsotroicri,cw, withith ananavaevreargaegeagaegeofo1f 21525yeyaerasr,st,hteheolodledsetssttsrutrcutcutruerebebienigng808000 yeyaerasr.sT. hTehieriargaegeinitnrotrdoudcuecseusnucnecretartianitnytyasatsotothtehereraelasltsatautsus ofotfhteheEnEgnlgislihshflofloododdedfeefnecneceinifnrfarsatsrutrcutcutruerenentewtworokrkwwhehnen susbujbejcetcbtobtohthtotosesaesaosnoanlaalnadndexetxretrmeme leolaodaidnigngeveevnetnst.sT. oTorer-edudcuecethtihsisunucnecretartianitnyt,ya, afufnudnadmamenetnatlaul nudnedresrtsatnadnidnigngofotfhtehe onosnesteot fobf rberaecahcihnign-gin-idnudcuecdedsusrufrafcaeceereorsoisoinonisisrerqeuqiureirdedsoso asastotobebtetettredr edfienfienethtehelelveevleslsofopf rportoetcetciotinonaffaoffrodreddedbybyhihsi-s-. Howoweveevre, r, asasthtehepapratirctilcelesizsiezededcerceraesaesses(i.(ei.e.clcalyaeyyeysosiolsi)ls, )g, rgarvaivtaitaiotinoanlaflofrocrecsesbebceocmome enengelgigligbilbeleanadndelelcetcrotrcohcehmemi- icaclailnitnetrearcatciotinonbebtewtweeenenpapratirctilcelsepslpalyaya adodmominiannatnrtorloel.eC. Oururerseuslutsltcsocnotnritbriubtuetetotothtehefufnudnadmamenetnatlaulnudnedresrtastnadnidnigngofotfimtime-ed-edpeepnednednetnmt mecehcah-aninsmisms tshtahtaitniflnufleunecnecereorsoiosinonofocflcalyayemembabnaknmkmenetnstdsudruinrigngovoevreflroflwowanadn,dh, ehnecnec,et,otoemembabnaknmkmenetnftafialuilruer.e.InIn adaddidtiiotino,nt,htehseesteetsetstshsohwowhohwowbabsaicsicocnocnecpetpstosfoufnusnastautruartaetdedsosiol iml mecehcahnaincisccsacnansesrevrevaesaas gaugiudiedteoto‘d‘edseigsing’n’ thtehceocmompapcatciotinoncocnodnidtiiotinosnosfoefmembabnaknmkmenetnmt mataetreiarila.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
