Detailed instructions are in the file attached. The following is the shortened version to get an idea on the general requirements.
Design brief:
You are requested to construct a 2 km long highway embankment of 4m height on a soft clay layer foundation soil. The embankment fill is free draining.
Calculations needed:
Step 1
Assess the bearing capacity of the soil qbc and whether it is capable to support the full height of the embankment fill.
Step 3
Assess whether the soil can consolidate sufficiently within the period specified in the design brief so that only the allowable settlement remains to be completed after construction.
Step 3
Consider the total settlement at the end of consolidation to adjust the necessary height of the embankment fill layers so that, after settlement, the required embankment height is as specified in the design brief.
Step 4
Consider the allowable height of the first layer of the embankment based on the calculation in step one.
Find the average effective stress change.
Also calculate the final consolidation settlement due to the construction of this layer.
Step 5
Calculate the increase in the soil’s shear strength after consolidation.
Consider the allowable height of the next embankment layer with the new undrained shear strength of the soil.
Step 6
Repeat steps 3-4 until the full embankment has been constructed.
Check if the staged construction (together with the waiting periods) is within the period specified in the design brief and make recommendations about the drain design and waiting times accordingly.
Step 7
Make an engineering drawing of the final embankment together showing any other provisions (e.g. for drainage etc.)
Step 8
Further investigations:
1. Compare what method would give less overall waiting times, while satisfying the design criteria for overall construction time
2. Assess the effect of smear zone
3. (optional) Assess the effect of ramped consolidation according to Olson’s (1977) expressions (see e.g. Battacharya (2009), p. 75 but also look at pp 72-74 as Olson is to be used together with Hansbo’s formula and you need to see the symbols); incidentally these pages also apply to investigation 2.
Step 9: Discussion
Discuss on the differences between methods and simplifying assumptions.
Also, even when we considered some effects, are you happy that the calculations above gave the actual settlement of the structure and the required consolidation times, and considered (albeit in a simplified way) all aspects of short-term stability?
Did we miss anything in our simplifying assumptions and how important were these omissions?
Are you happy that the finalised embankment as calculated above satisfies exactly the design brief requirements?
If not what can be done /should have been anticipated in the calculations? (etc.)
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