Mr.

Kimiaki Ishihara is General Manager of Road and Earth

Work Engineering Department of HAZAMA CORPORATION

from April 1 9 9 6 . He is a civil e n g i n e e r , a n d h a s b e e n w o r k i n g for

HAZAMA over 25 y e a r s at r e s e a r c h d i v i s i o n s . He w a s a m e m b e r

of 3rd mission of E D O for t e c h n i c a l e x c h a n g e w i t h North E u r o p e .

He w a s a w a r d e d from JSCE as a m e m b e r of invent.or of St .eel­

m a d e D i a p h r a m W a l l Met.hod on 24th May this y e a r .

Mr. Toshiaki Kato is C h i e f E n g i n e e r of Road and Earth Work

Engineering Department of HAZAMA CORPORATION from

April 1996. He is a r e g i s t e r e d c o n s u l t i n g e n g i n e e r . H e is a c i v i l

engineer, a n d h a s been w o r k i n g for HAZAMA over 20 y e a r s at

r e s e a r c h d i v i s i o n s . He w a s also a m e m b e r of 2 n d m i s s i o n of E D O

for t e c h n i c a l e x c h a n g e w i t h N o r t h E u r o p e .

- 297 -
 EPS TOKYO '96 Japan, 29·30 October 1996

A Large EPS Embankment To Prevent From Lateral

Flow Caused by Weak Subsoil

K. Ishihara, K. Matsumoto and T. Kato

HAZAMA Co., Ltd, Japan

ABSTRACT: A large embankment was planned to be placed near a structure supported by PHC piles ( ¢ 600

mm XL55m) in reclaimed soft ground. One of the concerns during the construction stages was the likelyhood of

large pile displacements resulting from lateral flow casued by weak subsoil itself.

Judging from the observed pile behavior and results of numerical analyses, it was anticipated that a higher

filling woud cause damage to piles. Therefore a light fill method (EPS Embankment Method) was adopted to

restrain the lateral displacement and about l l , 000m 3 EPS blocks were used for additional filling.

INTRODUCTION

At the site under disccusion, reclamation had barely been completed before the initiation of the construction of

the structure. At the site, the soil layer to a depth of 30m was very soft with N-values raging from 1 to 4. Piles

were driven into the ground and as a result of the excavation for the piles and the filling on top of the areas nearby

to the structure the difference in elevation of the piles and adjacent ground surface was expected to be about 10 m.

This is immediately lead to the concern of the possibility of severe damage to the piles resulting from a flow of

weak subsoil. Later plans called for a hill to be built around the structure, so the difference in elevation was going

to increase. In order to investigate the behavior of the ground and the piles, three inclinometers were set in the

ground and in a PHC Pile which was located near the embankment. The observations from those inclinometers

indicated that further filling would make damage to the pile.

We also, performed two-dimensional elasto-viseoplastic FEM analyses to obtain accurate estimates of the lateral

displacement caused by the planned filling. In our analyses we estimated the distribution of pore water pressure

using a one-dimensional FEM Analysis for considering the effect of pumping during a 100-year period and

reclamation before running the two-dimensional FEM routine for calculating the displacements (Matsumoto et al.,

1989). Based on the computed results we reached conclusions similar to those from the in-situ observations,

namely that countermeasures are required to restrain the lateral displacement induced by the further filling.

GROUND CONDITIONS

The soil profile before the construction is shown in Fig-1. The reclamation of this site began about 15 years ago

and the ground elevation at the site was raised to AP. +5.5m before the start of construction, The soil profile is

made of a layer the so-called Yurakucyolayer (As, Ac), followed by a Nanago-layer (Nas, Nae) at the bottom of

which is a Tok-yo Gravel-layer (Tog) up to a depth of AP-55 m. The properties of the soil layers are sumarized in

Table-I.

Fig-2 shows the ground settlement and the water level in the obsevational well located just under Tog-layer near

the construction site (the measurement were made by the metropolitan office). The water level had been lowered

to a depth of 30m in 1972, and after restrictions were put in place the level had already risen to a depth of lOm and

was continuing to rise. The ground settlement caused by the changes in the water level was measured as 2.3m.

The effective stresses in the soil are influenced by the pore water pressure. As a result of the reclamation and

groundwater pumping the pore water pressure has undergone a lot of change so the task of estimating the

effective stresses in the soil before the construction is complicated.

- 298 -
 In this paper, we have evaluated the pore water pressure distribution by the means of a one-dimensional FEM

routine which takes in to account the effects of pumping and reclamation.

Table-1 Soil properties

- - - - - - - - ---------- .. AP.I•) AP. Sym- Description of

API• ) /
L_ Structure _J (m)
bol Class
material
Reclaimed-(Fci)
layer (As)
5.5- Reclamation and
-10 10 Filling with
(Fez)/ Y u r a k u c y o - (A )
-7.0 gravels
layer c
-20 -20

-30 Nanago- (N ) -7.0-

-30 Loose silty
1 ayer ac
--N••:=::--
As fine Sand
-40 N a a =. .=:Na•==-- -40 -10.0

-50 50
-10.0- Clayey Silt with"
Tokyo Gravel-layer(Tog)
-60 �� Ac thin layer of sand.
60
0

�
20 ,oc m) -25.0
�= N-values l-4

-25.0- -_-_,7,
Fig-1 Soil profile - -, ,_ DHrk grey silty Clay
with layer of sand.
-49.0 -:::;�- Nae
_.,,_ - N-values 9-22

-38.0-
Dark grey Sand.
·//.:.\
Nas
N-values 5-50
-40.0
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980
O 1890 1900 1910 · · · · . · .

..
..
>

-10
· - · ---

-- ·-...... _ _ _ .. """"
1
..
..
:::
-49.0- ti> Tog
Sandy
N-values
clayey
25-50
Gravel.

-, o ·:. o
...
..
.... settlement �
..
:,,
-20 2 ::,
...
ground water level
-e
c measured at GL-70m
',I-
:, �
0 -30 3
t;.

Fig-2 Settlement of ground and

water level at GL- 70m

Fig-3 shows the consolidation yield stresses and the unconfined compression strength obtained from

measurements made at and around the site. Also, the estimated effective overburden pressure before the

construction is shown by the dotted line. The OCR values were calculated based on the pore water pressure

distribution estimated from the one-dimensional FEM analyses. Fig.3 shows that the AP.-lOm to -25m

Yurakucho-layer is at normally consolidated state, the AP.-25m to -49m Nanago-layer is overeonsolidated with

OCR's lying in the range 2 to 3. The OCR values indicate that the Yurakucho-layer is easily deformed by loading.

- - - Ef!etive overburden pressuni

O:,(tf/m') Unconfined compression slttngth
Consolidatiou yield stress
qu(tf/m')
2)
..:o(tf/m

60 100 140 20 40 60 80 100

AP.

..
-10
•I ..
'". .
:·•.
-20 ··�·!
. -: ;.
·. ', . .... ',}:·... ... a. ..
-30
·.• . . . . .

. ..
-40

. : . , . . .
. .
-so
(m) > Toe

Fig-3 Consolidation yield stresses and

unconfined compression strength

- 299 -
OUTLINE OF CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE AND FIELD OBSERVATIONS

OUTLINE OF CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE

Some of the construction stages shown on Table-2 together with field observations schedule. The plane of the

construction area is shown on Fig-4. Fig-5(a) and (b) shows field surface and its section at various stages of the

construction. The tasks in the construction can be roughly divided as follows;

1) Preload,

2) Removal of the preload,

3) Pile driving,

4) Excavation and filling,

5) Construction of the structure, and

6) Landscaping a garden around the structure.

Table-II Construction schedule

9 8 fJ 1987 I 1988 11989

12 l 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 l 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 l 2 J

Pre load

+ Removal
the

Filling
of
preload
CJ

c:::J

Pile driving CJ

Excavating CJ

Building

Ga r de n around
t h e s true cure
c

SO IOOm Field observations schedule

9 8 1J 198 7 I 1988 11989

Fig-4 Measuring points and l2 l 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 l 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 s ioi n z : 2 J

G r o u nd
analytical section behavior

Settlement

Pile
behavior

embankment

£9
,, ... - ... ,
I I

I '

'--.,.lJ>s:,

Removal of Excavating

che preload and Buildin

2) Removal of 3) Pile driving 4) Excavating

1) Preload
and filling
Che preload
5) Building

6) Gardening

Fig-5(a) Construction stages (ground surface)

AP.

0
( m )O I 1) Preload
3) Pile driviug

-20 piles
-20

-40
-40

-60
-60-'-�����������������-'- I

�-
structure
0 4) Excavating
O 2) Removal of the p r e Lo ad
and filling
-20 -20
piles
5) Building

-40 -40
6) Garden
-60-'-����������������_J,_ -60

Fig-5(b) Construction stages (x-x section)

- 300 -
FIELD OBSERVATIONS

Fig-4 shows measureing points and analytical section. Fig-6 shows plots of lateral displacement in the ground

and the deformation of one of the piles from inclinometer readings and the ground settlement as recorded by

settlememnt gages. The pile was a PHC half-closed end pile, whose inside diameter was 420 mm.

All observations exrept the deformation of the pile had been carried out since this project started and the pile

measurements were made from the time the pile was driven. The instrumented pile was located near the

embankment, consequently, this pile was most susceptible to lateral displacements,

Lateral displacement
(cm)
0 2 4 6 8 0 2 4 6 8

F -

AP (ground)
0

G--­

-10 (pile)

-20

-30

after the pile

o b s e rv a t i o n
-50

Cm)

60 days 240 days

Fig-6 Lateral deformation (comparison between a pile behavior and the ground)

BERA VIOR INFERRED FROM THE IN-SITU MEASUREMENTS

OBSERVED BEHAVIOR OF THE GROUND

According to the observational results, shown in Figs-6 and 7, the pattern of ground displacement can be divided

as;

1) A pile driving stage during which ground displacements were generated in a direction away from the pile

driving area. The ground displacements varied linearly with depth.

2) The excavating and filling stage during which the ground displacements occurred in the direction of the pile

driving area. The largest ground displacements was observed in the soft clay layer called Yurakucho-layer.

,...._ (in other works area)

E Dili_lin11:
u
'-'
6 -------i=::J P i l e d r iv in g
.... G(Pile) .
c 4
a, 0
ooo 0 oo <D ooc:66 oOOco o ll:) (b O
o oo � o l!! o
0 0 0
E 2
a, ......• ., ., w TY ., 'fY T yY"r 'f' 'f' y T .,

u
0
"'
.....
-2 1988 • .....
.., • 12 1989
0.
..
-e
"'
..... -4 • 6
�B {Ground) •
..
-6
6
• .Q ,,,. . .. ...••. : . .
..... A · - • • .- --....._
-8 • V" ;
� � 66
F (Ground)
�
"'
a,
-10
..., • AP.-16.Sm
• center of Ac-layer
..... -12
"' •
-14

Fig- 7 Lateral displacement with the passage of time (at AP.-16.5m)

- 301 -
OBSERVED BEHAVIOR OF THE PILE

As shown in figs-6 and 7, the pile deformation, indicated by G, and the ground deformation, indicated by F,

coinside with each other even though the measurements were made 20m apart from each other. It appears as if

the pile deformed suddenly at the boundary between the soft Yuraku-cho clay layer and the stiff Nanago clay

layer.

PREDICTION OF SOIL DEFORMATION

The height of the embankment was expected to rise in the future as a results of additinal filling, Based on the

observed data up to this stage it was anticipated that the piles would be damaged by the future filling. Therefore,

the incremental ground displacement resulting from filling in the future was estimated by using a numerical

procedure.

NUMERICAL ANALYSES

We used a finite element program called DACSAR (lizuka et al.,1987) to predict the ground deformation.

DACSAR is based on a elast-viscoplastic constitutive model proposed by Sekiguchi and Ohta(l977) for clayey

materials. This model incorporates induced anisotropy, creep and relaxation characteristics, and feature which

couples the soil skelton with the pore water flow.

One-dimensional analyses were conducted to estimate the initial stress condition in the ground. The analytical

section for the two-dimensional analyses was made to corresponded with the observed data shown in Fig-4. The

finite element mesh and the boundary conditions are shown in Fig-8.

Two-dimensional analyses were performed from at "preload" to at "future filling for landscaping a garden". To

express faithfully the complex field works, the size of the mesh for adding and removing due to filling and

excavating was taken as 50cm. The effects of the piles supporting the structure were not taken in to consideration,

hence the ground deformation during the pile driving period was ignored.

Filling E x cava t Lonl s = s e )

�a
j
1 1 II i 1 1 1 1

inclinometer
rl 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

F
11 1 Fl
?OOm
11 1 I 1 1 I

t
I

Fig-8 Element mesh and boundary Conditions

ANALYTICAL RESULTS

The post excavation computed ground displacement is show in Fig-9 together with observed values. The

calculated values are slightly higher than the observed data in the Nanago-layer but are very comparable in the

Yurakucho-layer. Fig-10 show the lateral displacement at AP. +2.5m of F with the passage of time. The observed

values had a high of 17cm, which occurred during the pile driving period in a direction away from the pile driving

area. As the excavation progressed a lateral displacement of 15cm was recorded in the direction towards the pile

driving area. The numerically calculated values do not include the displacement during the pile driving because it

is not considered in the routine nonetheless as seen in Fig-10 the calculated values show a good agreement with

the measured values. The numerical routine predicted a lateral displacement of future filling and the observed

displacement so far is also equal to 15cm.

- 302 -
 displacement ( cm) displacement (cm)

-40 -20 0 0 5 10 15 20

AP "'1'l - \ I

0
Before \ \

tile ucnatioa\�\

-10

Alter \ /
� 10 Excavation
e tile uuntio1 \ ....,
u
H calculated
"' I c
-20 "'
I .,
...
� ••• .:.-···--A EPS
"'
II � O""'r-���������_.,....a;.;....;:.�����--1

-30 x
c.
c:,
c:, ..
.., ....
.... "O

-40 � after the -

,. -10

c:: excavation ...

.,
(days) u

..
17 194
-so
(m)
. .... - -20-=-���-=-=-::--__._�_,...,!-=-�-'-���--'-�--'�---'
0 200 400 600 800

0 6. elapsetime(days)

Fig-9 Lateral deformation Fig-10 Lateral displacement with passage of

(comparison between analytical Time (at AP. -2.5m) (comparison between

results and observed values) analytical results and observed values)

COUNTERMEASURES

Several countermeasures such as light fill methods (EPS, air mortar), soil improvement methods, pile

foundation method etc., were considered to maintain the safety of the piles and these measures must all satisfy the

followings:

1) the planned height of the hill should remain at 7m,

2) the lateral movement of the soft ground should not be increased by filling, and

3) the terms of filling work should not be extended.

The most obvious solution to overload problems is to reduce the load. The Expanded-Polystyrol (EPS) lightfill

method was adopted based on a comparison of the effect, cost, period etc,.

The density of the 2m x lm X0.5m EPS blocks was 18kg and ll,000rn3 of blocks were used. Fig-ll(a) shows the

plan of the EPS hill, and A-A section is shown in Fig-ll(b). The EPS area was extended over the top of the hill so

that these blocks are not subjected to any appreciable soil pressure. Under normal conditions cncrete slabs would

be installed at the top of the EPS layer to prevent traffic-induced deflections in the material but as this area was a

green zone in the park concrete slabs were omitted.

SOm

Fig-ll(a) EPS Fill (plane)

- 303 -
 r"· 000 .L---�t;'-':."."'.."_ ��� _:'.,_�-- - - - _ /;'.000 r'"""T •." �
-·c
<"
1
I · �

�
- - - - - - _ !PS 2. 000 x I. 000 x 500 IT I,,

..... AP . 9 . 3 5 ( AP . 7 . 8 5 ��-------- �
1

AP . 8 . 35 1
. �

• ORAi H D I T C H AREA •
I

SECTION

Fig-ll(b) EPS Fill (A-A sectopm)

Our aim was to optimize the loading capacity of the soft ground and therefore even before the filling started, the

base of the ground was excavated to a depth of lm so as not to increase the load on the soft ground. This resulted

in a sort of equilibration of the conditions before and after the construction of the embankment.

It was also important to prevent build-up of any water pressure against the EPS blocks. To reduce the buoyancy,

a layer of gravel approximately 35cm thick was placed at the bottom of the EPS hill and, also, a ditch was dug to

reduce the seepage of water by ensuring a smooth flow of water along the surface of the hill. The ditch was set up

by spacing lOm. Non-wovens fabric was placed surrounding the gravel to reduce the erosion. Thus, the inflow of

water was reduced as much as possible and any water that penetrated the EPS fill could easily drain off

Before the EPS blocks were laid a 5cm thick sand layer was spread to level the base of the ground. This work

was performed very carefully by a hand process because the horizontality of the base EPS blocks have a direct

effect on the next upper EPS blocks and so on. The blocks in the upper layer were placed perpendicularly to the

lower blocks and are connected to each other by two metal joints, see Phot-I, 2.

Photo- I The EPS fill under construction Photo-2 Fastener

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of this project was good in all respects, technically, as well as practically. The easy handling

capability of EPS blocks resulted in a very early completion of the embankment.

The EPS blocks, also, made it possible to achieve the originally planned height of the hill, which provided a nice

view of the Tokyo Bay. So far this enbankment has performed quite satisfactorily. Zero lateral displacement of the

soft clay layer has been observed during the period 3/1989 to 3/1991

- 304 -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank metropolitan office for offering observation data. The support of Taniguchi

design office and Kimura structural engineers is gratefully acknowledged. The results of these analysis were

available under the guidance of Pro. Ohta and Dr. lizuka (Kanazawa Uni.)

Photo-3 Completed Park (Air View)

REFERENCES

1) Mastumot.o,K,Kobayashi,A.; Deformation Analysis of Soft Ground under Excavation and Filling, Technical

Research Technical Research Report ofHAZAMA-GUMl,LTD.,ppl 77---- 188,1989(Japanese)

2) Iizuka,A,Ohta,H.; A determination Precedure oflnput Parameter in Elast-Viscoplatic Finite Element Analysis,

Soils and Foudations, vol.27,No.3, pp77----87,1987.

3) Sekiguchi,H.,Ohta,H.; Induced Anisotropy and Time Dependency in Clay, Pro. Specialty Session 99th ICSMFE,

Tokyo, pp.229 ----239,1977.

4) Mastumot.o,K,Ishihara,K,Kat.o,T.; Countermeasures for the Lateral Displacement of Piles in Soft Clay, Pro. of

GEO-COAST '91, Yokohama, pp.225 ----230,1991.

- 305 -