Schulz-Poblete, M., Van der Merwe, F. and Gaspar, T. orcid.org/0000-0002-3746-2714 (2022) Installation of a low-cost unsaturated soil monitoring system in Howick, South Africa. In: Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 01-05 May 2022, Sydney, Australia. Australian Geomechanics Society ISBN 9780994626141
Abstract
The stability of soil embankment slopes is an important aspect of infrastructure works, as many crucial roads, buildings and runways are ultimately supported by them. As changing climate patterns affect slope stability, the infrastructure in turn is put at risk. Increasingly, studies are being undertaken worldwide to investigate the effect of harsher climactic conditions on slopes using unsaturated theory, both by modelling and monitoring unsaturated slopes. This paper presents a low-cost suction monitoring solution incorporating fixed-matrix porous sensors for a 11 m high slope on a highway embankment in South Africa that had shown signs of movement prior to mechanical stabilisation works. An overview of the equipment and techniques used to install the system is given and data obtained from the system over a dry and a wet season is presented. The analysis of this data shows how material layering in the embankment can lead to localised zones of higher and lower suction which cannot necessarily be anticipated for design purposes without the air of direct measurement.
Metadata
Item Type: | Proceedings Paper |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2022 The Author(s). |
Keywords: | Fixed-matrix porous sensor; unsaturated soil mechanics; field testing; fill embankment; rainfall infiltration |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2023 14:27 |
Last Modified: | 26 Jan 2023 14:54 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Australian Geomechanics Society |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:195657 |