Deterioration of geotechnical infrastructure: the influence of asset aging through environmental cycling

Stirling, S.; Helm, P.; Glendinning, S.; Asquith, J.; Hughes, P.; Toll, D.

Abstract

This paper sets out to establish the implication of weather driven deterioration processes on the long-term performance of infrastructure earthworks. With particular reference to UK transport network slopes, the work presented here centres on their sustainable management and assessment of resilience to climate change. An extensive campaign of investigation has been undertaken consisting of (1) field site monitoring and observation, (2) laboratory scale testing under wetting-drying conditions and (3) unsaturated finite element analysis. By cycling the unsaturated state of engineered fill samples, suction generation behaviour has been measured and assessed via the Soil-Water Retention Curve (SWRC). Full-scale investigation at a trial embankment and controlled laboratory testing has provided evidence of seasonal processes behind fundamental changes in soil-water retention behaviour e.g. due to the development of desiccation cracking, vegetative cover and evapotranspiration-recharge cycles. Lastly, the sensitivity of suction generation has been evaluated via input of in situ SWRCs into a coupled hydrological-mechanical model. The ability to accurately model these deterioration processes is crucial if we are to fully understand the implications of our changing climate on the long-term stability of our infrastructure.

La détérioration des sols a des implications à long terme pour la performance des terrassements d’infrastructure. Avec une attention particulière au réseau de transport du Royaume-Uni, ce travail concerne l'évaluation de sa résilience face au changement climatique. Un programme expérimental a été lancé sur des sols argileux, comprenant (1) des essais de laboratoire sous des conditions cycliques d’humectation et de séchage; (2) un programme de surveillance du terrain; (3) des simulations non-saturées en différence finie. Par la variation cyclique du comportement non-saturé, la génération des succions interstitielles a été évaluée en utilisant une courbe de rétention d’eau. Un remblai expérimental, conçu sur mesure, a permis de mettre en évidence les changements fondamentaux dans le comportement du matériel : le développement des fissures, l’influence de la végétation et des cycles d’évapotranspiration/recharge d’eau. La sensibilité de la génération des succions a été évaluée par l’introduction des données de terrain dans un modèle hydromécanique. La construction de modèles précis est essentielle pour la compréhension des implications des changements climatiques sur la stabilité à long terme des réseaux d’infrastructure.

Citation

Stirling, S., Helm, P., Glendinning, S., Asquith, J., Hughes, P., & Toll, D. (2017, September). Deterioration of geotechnical infrastructure: the influence of asset aging through environmental cycling. Presented at 19th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Seoul, Korea

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 19th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
• Start Date: Sep 17, 2017
• End Date: Sep 22, 2017
• Acceptance Date: May 16, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 6, 2023
• Pages: 3199-3202
• Keywords: Asset deterioration; Soil-water retention curve; Slope monitoring; Climate impacts; Transport infrastructure
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1143731
• Publisher URL: https://www.issmge.org/uploads/publications/1/45/06-technical-committee-21-tc215-28.pdf