Modelling horizontal soil deformations

Abstract

Many cities around the world are located in deltaic areas, these areas have a major economic potential due to their strategic location close to seas and waterways. On the other hand, these deltaic regions are generally covered with very compressible soils. When embankments are constructed on such soils large vertical deformations will occur, but also a significant amount of horizontal deformations can be expected at the outer sides of the embankment. These deformations can have an adverse effect on nearby structures, for instance pile foundations, cables and ducts. This research concentrates on the horizontal deformations, which are most prominent at the outer sides of the embankment. A case where horizontal deformations have resulted in damage is reported by Fellenius and Johansson (1972). They presented a case where several piles of a building in Huddinge near Stockholm buckled due to excessive horizontal movements. More recently the HSL railway track near The Hague was damaged due to horizontal soil deformations (Maas and Wuite, 2006). The horizontal deformations slightly deformed the piles under the concrete railway track.