Evaluation of Lateral Flow in Soft Ground under Embankment

The lateral soil movement in soft grounds undergoing improvement with application of vertical drains is analyzed on the basis of monitoring data at three fields, in which fifty six monitoring sites are located. Based on the investigations, the criterions are suggested to predict the lateral soil movement. In order to predict the lateral soil movement in the improved soft grounds by using the dimensionless parameter R suggested by Marche & Chapuis (1974), it is desirable that the maximum lateral displacement in the soft ground below the toe of embankment should be applied to calculate R instead of the lateral displacement at the toe of embankment. The lateral soil movement may increase rapidly, if the safety factor of slope is less than 1.4 in case of high ratio of H/B (Thickness of soft ground/Embankment width) such as 1.15 or is less than 1.2 in case of low ratio of H/B such as 0.05. Also, the graph suggested by Tschebotarioff (1973), which illustrates the relationship between the maximum height of embankments and the undrained shear strength of soft grounds, can be applied to the evaluation for the possibility of the lateral soil movement due to embankments on soft grounds.