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International Conference on Case Histories in (1984) - First International Conference on Case
Geotechnical Engineering Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
May 6th
L. A. Cooley
USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
A. E. Templeton
USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
R. L. Fleming Jr.
USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Recommended Citation
Wardlaw, E. G.; Cooley, L. A.; Templeton, A. E.; and Fleming, R. L. Jr., "Slide Stabilization With Gravel Trenches" (1984). International
Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. 33.
http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/1icchge/1icchge-theme3/33
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Slide Stabilization with Gravel Trenches
E. G. Wardlaw
Project Geotechnical Engineer, USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
L.A. Cooley
Chief Foundation and Materials Branch, USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
A. E. Templeton
Geotechnical Engineer, USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
R. L. Fleming, Jr.
Chief Analytical Section, USAED Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi
SYNOPSIS A different method of slide stabilization using gravel trenches is described. The design,
construction, and performance monitoring of the gravel trenches are discussed together with a
history of the slide, description of the soils, and mechanism of failure. The applications and
limitations of this method of slide stabilization are also evaluated.
river flow, and extending below the slip sur- /'" " Slope
face. A number of stabilization methods were i"" '- Inclinometer
investigated but the gravel trench method of /
repair was determined to be the most cost
effective method of stabilization. The history
of the slide dates back to the late 1960's and
involves damage to a county road and destruc-
tion of a timber bridge. \_..., Timber Piles-
743
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I
150 ...... ......
0
>
(.!)
z Highly
PlastiC
Clay (CH)
1-
Inferred
w
w
u.
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I Failure Surface
Fine and
::> Medium Sands
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First International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
Missouri University of Science and Technology
http://ICCHGE1984-2013.mst.edu
an overconsolidation ratio of 7 and an average Undrained slope stability analyses using the
compression index of 0. 41. average shear strength values of c = 700 psf and
1 = 0 along the slip surface produced safety
factors in excess of 3.0. From these analyses
Cohesion, psf Water Content .z % it was determined that the failure mechanism
500 1000 20 40 6u 80 could not be explained in terms of an undrained
0 _(: VI
0 ~
failure. This leads to the determination that
~ the slope failure occurs under drained conditions
0-~= w_
with a triggering mechanism attributed to the
G
~
r
I!J"
~ :::
.:..
_!!_I
shrink swell process which occurs in the soils
near the surface. Extensive cracks develop in
*.
kit'
__Q lA the highly plastic clays during dry weather and
~
0
':" ( wJ ~ soil material from the surface falls down the
cracks (Allen and Braud, 1966). When the soil
~~ F;-1
is wetted following a dry season extensive swel-
"~0
r::::: 1\i [/"
'> ling occurs. The swelling develops high lateral
G)
ru w pressures (Pufahl, Fredlund and Rehardjo, 1983).
Because of the sloping surface, non-uniform
:fJ) 1: lateral pressures develop which cause local over-
stressing forming concentrations of slickensides
in zones experiencing the largest strains
0 (Templeton, Sills, Cooley, 1984). From the
@ ~ stresses and associated strains the soil exceeds
\=) VI the peak strength. In some zones the residual
strength may be reached while in other zones the
. soil may be near the peak strength. The average
c: drained shear strength probably lies between peak
Legend jl_ Legend and residual. The slide is triggered when this
0UC ~ 0 Llquld Limit
euu . - Ill Plaatic Limit
condition has developed to a significant degree
and the soil is saturated by heavy rainfall.
Natural Water
Content
<; The slide was first observed during the late
,:,
"' I I I 1940's, but movements were minor until the late
1960's. The slopes were heavily vegetated until
the early 1960's when the slopes were cleared
Fig. 3. Shear Strength and Water and snagged. This exposure of the slope in-
Content Data creased the severity of the wet-dry cycles and
accelerated development of conditions contribu-
Conditions Contributing to Slide ting to sliding. Once movements developed to
the point that the slide broke back into the
The site investigation indicated the soils in road, efforts were made to reestablish the sur-
the slide to be medium to stiff, highly plastic face by dumping fill at the top of slide. Addi-
clays that exhibited an overconsolidated crust tional fill caused additional movements during
and fissured soil structure. Fissures and slic- the next rainy season and subsequent erosion of
kensides were evident from examination of the the toe bulge by the river. This practice was
undisturbed samples and from observations during continued for about 10 years. During the period
trenching for installation of the gravel tren- 1970-1980, observations of the top of a slope
ches. It was noted that the slip surface was inclinometer casing indicated that portions of
located at the lower extent of the heavily fis- the slide mass moved as much as 40 feet. This
sured and slickensided zone. The UC's indicated same type phenomena was observed at a slide
considerable scatter in shear strength down to approximately 40 miles down river where a pecan
a depth of about 25 feet. Observations of the tree moved down slope from top bank, a distance
specimens during testing indicated that fissures of about 30 feet and remained relatively
and slickensides controlled the strength of a undamaged.
large number of the specimens tested. The
average liquidity index was 26 percent.
Development of an overconsolidated crust is com- REMEDIAL MEASURES
mon in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and
is attributed to fluctuations in the water The selection of the gravel trench stabilization
table and seasonal wetting and drying of the method was based on a cost analysis in which
surface soils. During the dry season of the cost estimates were compared for several methods
year dessication can occur to depths as great of slide stabilization. The slide stabilization
as 8 to 10 feet. The water table will fluctu- methods investigated fell into four categories:
ate from near the surface during extremely wet (1) an anchored sheet pile bulkhead, (2) excava-
seasons to 25 to 30 feet deep during extremely tion and backfilling material in the failed zone,
dry seasons. The combined processes produce (3) in-place stabilization by either stone
overconsolidation generally decreasing with colums or gravel trenches, or (4) stabilization
depth below the surface. The soils near the by changing the slope configuration: The.st~i
surface where severe dessication has occurred lization by changing the slope conf~gurat~on ~n
usually show a dense, blocky structure with volved construction of either a soil berm or
fissures and slickensides. The distinctiveness rock buttress combined with relocation of the
of the structure and the degree of fissuring river channel. The methods which did not require
decreases with depth. Typically the soils are relocation of the river channel were the anchored
normally consolidated below a depth of about sheet pile bulkhead, stone columns, and gravel
25 feet.
745
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z
....
llJ
llJ
u.
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>
llJ Substratum Sand
...1
LLI
100
746
\
washed gravel in which more than 95 percent of
the particle sizes were larger than the u. s.
Standard Sieve No. 4 and 100 percent of the
particle sizes were smaller than 1-1/2 inches.
This gravel was commercially available in the
area and was transported to the construction
site by truck and stockpiled. An International
"Harvester 530, rubber tired, front-end loader
with a 3 cubic yard bucket capacity was used to
transport the gravel from the stockpile to the
...
trenches. The gravel backfill was not densified
after it was placed. A Bucyrus-Erie, 22B, drag-
line with a 1 cubic yard bucket was used to do
'
......
some grading of the upper bank, grading of the 1---+
slide toe, and to place the riprap protection. :..
....
A Caterpillar, D7, bulldozer was used to place
an impervious clay cover over the backfilled
..
.......
trenches and to perform general slope dressing.
.......
The first gravel trench was constructed on the
downstream limit of the slide with subsequent
trenches proceeding upstream on 12 foot spacings. --1
During the excavation for the trenches all man-
ner of debris was encountered including large j 50
Scale 0!;,====~
pieces of concrete and timbers. The hetero- Legend:
geneous nature of the slide mass combined with -Grovel Trenchs
numerous discontinuities (slickensides, fis- 0 Slope fnclinometers
sures, and debris) made caving of the trench W.~ Riprap
side walls a recurring problem. The caving pro-
blem seemed to worsen as the trench construction Fig . 5. Plan View of. Gravel Trenches
progressed toward the middle of the slide mass.
In total, fourteen trenches were installed of installing 2.87-inch I.D., grooved, ABS
varying in length from 180 to 200+ feet and in plastic casing. The casings were installed in
depth from 0 to 15 feet. When the trench exca- holes that fully penetrated the finer grained
vation depth extended beyond the reach of the topstratum soils and terminated in substratum
backhoe a bench was excavated 2 to 3 feet deep sands. Deflections in the casings were elec-
for the backhoe to operate from. tronically measured using the Model 50308
Digitilt Mag-Tap Indicator. Initial readings on
After placement of the gravel backfill, the 3- the plastic casings were taken in June 1982.
foot thick layer of compacted clay (CH) was Additional readings were taken in July and Octo-
placed over the trenches. Figure 4 shows a ber of 1982 and April, July, August and November
section of the gravel trench indicating the of 1983. Comparative plots are shown in Figure
impervious clay blanket and the riprap protec- 6. These plots show movement of greater than
tion. After all of the gravel trenches were l-inch occurring in casing 1. However, casing 3
completed a clay fill was placed on the upper shows relatively small movements of less than
bank area to reconstruct the shoulder of the 0.4 inches. This is interesting in that casing
road that had been lost by slide activity. 1 is nearer the center of the slide and casing 3
This material was spread by bulldozer and com- is located near the toe of the slide, downslope
pacted with a sheep's foot roller. The toe of from casing 1. The location of casing 1 is in
the slide was graded to a 1 vertical on 3.5 an area of the slide in which the exact location
horizontal slope from the water's edge. The of the slip surface was not determined. This
gravel at the lower end of the trenches was movement may indicate that the gravel trenches
exposed so that the bedding gravel for the did not fully penetrate the slip surface in the
placement of the riprap toe protection would be area of casing 1. Plastic c_asings 2 and 4 have
interconnected with the trench to allow drainage deflections of approximately 0.5-inch and 0.6-
through the riprap protection. The construction inch, respectively. These deflections are
of the repair was completed, including turfing, considered to be strains associated with the
in the first week of June, 1982 with a final mobilization of shear strength and densifica-
cost of $107,000. Construction efforts were tion of the gravel backfill.
interrupted at least twice due to high water.
Figure 5 shows, in plan view, the location of
the gravel trenches and the riprap protection.
CONCLUSIONS
The gravel trench method of slide stabilization
MONITORING AND PERFORMANCE has definite applications in appropriate situa-
tions. These situations are shallow slides
A monitoring system consisting of four slope with soil masses that have enough integrity to
inclinometer casings was installed in the slide remain stable when excavated below the slip
area, prior to final grading, in order to surface with near vertical side slopes. This
747
748