MACE60013 Foundations for Structures Page 1/8 Mr.

Tom Chlayon ID75327620

Geotechnical Design Report

The stability of colliery spoil tips at Aberfan BEFORE the disaster, 1966
1. Data

1.1 The site and surroundings description

The site owned by the National Coal Board (NCB) is a colliery coalfield. this site located
on the slope area in the Merthyr Mountain in the South Wales ( G. McKechnie Thomson and S.
Rodin, 1972). At the end of the lower side of the slope is the location of the Aberfan village
which is on the broad structural basin of the coalfield between the River Taff and the Merthyr
Mountain. The tip 7 elevation is 1036 feet above O.D. level, and the elevation of the Aberfan
village is 490 feet above O.D. level. So, the different height between the peak and the village is
546 feet. The horizontal distance between the peak of tip 7 and the nearest village area is 2000
feet approximately. The natural slope is about 15 degree.
1.2 The usage of the site area
The coalfield site is mainly used as a dumping area of coal waste materials called
“colliery spoil tips”. These tips are composed of colliery rubbish, probably mainly came from the
Lower Coal Measures. On the site area, seven tips are built forming up to the complex tips as
shown in figure1. The lower ground closed to the coalfield site is the location of the Pantglas
Junior, Primary, and Secondary School in the village of Aberfan.

Figure1. The complex colliery tips in Merthyr Mountain (Welsh office,1966)

1.3 The ground condition description

The geology underneath the Merthyr Mountain lies the enomous Carboniferous Pennant
Sandstone which dip smoothly towards the Aberfan village. Approximately 80 feet below the 7
tip base, the sandstone contains the layer of the coal, the Brithdir seam, which is underlain by a
layer of clay with further shales and siltstones beneath it. This seam gives rise to a line of
underground springs. The rocks and soils can be divided into two catagories; drift and solid. The
drift materials include Tip material, Alluvium, Yellow sandy clay, Boulder clay, and Glacial sand
and gravel. And the solid materials compose of Sandstones, Mainly Mudstones, and Coals. The
sandstone is very hard and dense substance. The site area is naturally divided into huge
rectangular blocks by joints and fissures which can act as a drainage water system. These crack
natural crack roughly several inches wide. The Major fault in the site area is Kilkenny faults and
the movement is at 90 degree to the bedding and parallel to the valley. There are also other small
faults in the same direction of the main fault as shown in figure2.
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Figure2 cross-section display height of the tip 7 and the village

1.4 The purposed construction description
The main objective of this site is for dumping the colliery tips. So, the main structures are
the tips but there will be many tips in this debris dumping area. And maintaining the stability of
the tip is one of the major tasks in tip construction.
1.5 Meteorology
“The South Wales coalfield is subject to the greatest rainfall of any coalfield in the UK,
with a range of 1200-2500 mm/year and an average of about 2000 mm/year. Other coalfields
range between 600 and 1200 mm/year. Thus, in very wet years the spoil heaps in South Wales
receive over 20,000 tonnes/ha of rain.” (G. McKechnie Thomson and S. Rodin, 1972)
1.6 The History of spoil tips
1927, Professor George Knox wrote a paper on “Landslide in South Wales Valleys”. He
mentioned that the water concerned in South Wales landslide is derived from percolation from
the joints of the pennant sandstone rather than from direct rainfall on the side area. He also
expressed that “mining engineers would make a more careful investigation of so-called suitable
ground for colliery tips”.
The slide at Tip 4 at Aberfan on 21st November 1944 is similar to the slide in 1966 in
many ways. First, It took form of a destructive flow slide with no significant of out flow water.
The gradient of the slide is very close to the tip7 because the locations are in the same area.
Secondly, it was an active tip (use as dumping place of waste materials). Finally, there is a
displacement and small slide before reaching final and critical failure.
The Merthyr Mountain is the place for building colliery tip for a long time approximately
50 years before the disaster in 1966. The information of the tips is provided by the aerial
photographs, by map made from these photographs, and by studied history of tip failure in the
site area.
The tip 7 was built around Easter 1958. At the early state, the tip was placed over two
small tips; tip 3 and tip 4. The old record indicates that the previous design of the working life of
this tip is about 30 years. The construction of the tip 7 is using group of workmen with mobile
crane to dump the colliery on the top of the tip. There was a record of the instability of the tip 7 in
1963. The slide occurred but no one was killed. Moreover, on the basis of the evidences gathering
after the disaster the experts conclude that the initial phase of the slip on 21st October 1966
reactivate the movement on the pre-existing shear surface.
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1.7 Terms and definitions

Colliery Tip is huge piles of loose rock and mining slag. The nature of building tip is that
at the lower level the slope is nearly flat. But the higher the level tip is, the steeper the slope
increases.

2. Methods of calculation

2.1 State Assumptions

 This report is based on the previous knowledge before the disaster in 1966
 There are very few studies of the colliery material behavior and properties such as
strength, permeability, density, and sizing analyses
 The underground springs was spotted before the disaster happened.
 The geology and topology data were available at that time.
 The meteorology record was also available.
 The mining slag did not classify as highly hazardous or contaminated material. If the
lab result indicate that the slag contain dangerous substance, then the site
investigation and many design approaches shall fall into case 3 which is for
contaminated land.
2.2 Design proposal
By considering the environment of the site and the consequences of the failure, this design
involves the safety for the people who have business in Pantglas School.

2.2.1 The reliability management for construction works shall be classified as CC2 which is
Medium consequence for loss of human life, economic, social or environmental consequences
considerable. Because this involves people life in the school (EN1990, Annex B table B1).

2.2.2 The working life of the tip shall be classified as category 4 which has 50 years of
working life. And the reason for choosing this type is the same as the reason for reliability
management (EN1990,2.3 table 2.1).

2.2.3 The durability of the tip is depend on the working life, the properties of the sandstone
underneath, the properties of tip material, and ambient effect such as quantity of rainfall, and the
underground springs in the Brithdir seam that lie inside sandstone layer (EN1990, 2.4(2)).

2.2.4 The level of acceptable risks of the tip is base on the location of the tip and the record
of the previous similar accident in the coalfield area. For the tips that may lead to the loss of
human life in the village such as tip 4 and tip 7 the design category shall fall into the same type as
for general building which has the medium risk and the working period of the tips shall be
designed for 50 years. But for the tips that place on low risk area the consequences of actions
may be less than those tips that its consequences may lead to the loss of human life.

2.2.5 The limit states design of the tip shall be carried out both Ultimate limit states and
Serviceability limit state. For ultimate limit states, the tip design is concerned about the safety of
the people (in village) and the safety of the structure for loss of equilibrium of the structure
(EN1990, 3.3, (1)P&(4)P). For serviceability limit states, the design is concerned about the works
of the workmen in the tip area (EN1990, 3.4 (1)P).
2.2.5.1 Actions and effects of action of the tip
Before making a list of all possible forces and effects of action of the tip, the historical data
involved the mode of failures of the slope stability cases near the site from the past shall be used
for design future possible failure of the tip. The records indicate that the circular slip happen first,
the followed closely by a flow slide. This situation used to occur before on the tip 4, 1944.
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During 1947 -1951, there was a rotational slip at the tip 5 but did not cause the flow slide. In
1963 (three years before the disaster in 1966), the rotational slip occurred in the tip 7 and also
create a flow slide of colliery spoils. Later on, in 1944, the further slip of the tip 7 was detected
(paragraph 276 in report of tribunal). On summary, this area can be classified as a high risk area
of rotational slip and flow slide. According to the records, the tip 7 was still an active tip at that
time. And from the movement record, the tip was instable since its last slip and flow in 1963.

The summarize of the consequence of the flow slide shown in paragraph 275 in report of
tribunal can be demonstrated as shown below.
 The tip was re-instigated its movement by arising of water pressure in the sandstone
beneath the tip.
 The movement created shear displacement at the crest of the slope and reduced the
stability and it failed in the end. The rise of water content in the tip base cause
liquefaction and made the flow slide occurred
 The mud-run created some damages to the thin boulder clay layer which confined the
underground water. So, the water can escape from the confinement and large volume of
this water is merged to the slide material.
 As the result of these two events, it causes liquefaction and a catastrophe flood to the
village.
It is no doubt that the slope stability analysis should base on the analysis of the circular slip.
But if others possible modes of failure are detected by the engineer, for instance, failure in linear
plane. So the wedge analysis or the translational slide analysis shall be performed. The
calculation shall include the design for that failure too. As mentioned in the consequences of the
flow slide, the instigators of the slip may not only be just the settlement by the shear failure at the
crest of the slope. Any ground movement can be the stimulators too; the seismic effects, mining
effects, earthquake effects, also all the water sources related to the instability of the slope.
According to EN1997, 11.3, (2)P, the forces and effects that involved the stability of the spoil tip
shall be illustrated as shown below.
 The self weight of the material tip.
 The frictional for in the failure plane (As basic information, the tip material contains
ashes which behave like the shale stone)
 The material properties of the colliery spoil especially focusing on permeability and
void ratio.
 The variation in the water content of the tip
 The water pressure of the seam beneath the tip (Seepage effect)
 The pore water pressure of the tip (to predict the water table line in the tip for)
 The rain falls or snow load during winter
 The cyclic change of the temperature at the side (for long term stability)
 The contaminated substance and its reaction effects ambient environment
 The Geology (behavior and the movement direction of the fault close to the site)
 The continuous ground movement caused by mining effect from the opposite side of
the Aberfan village or others ground activity
 The creep effects from freezing and thawing of the snow to the surface of the tip
 The earthquake and seismic effect (maybe the site is subjected to earthquake load or
there may be a significant number of supersonic aircrafts frequency fly through this
area,)
2.2.5.2 The ultimate limit states design
For the load calculation and combination of the characteristic load mentioned in actions and
effects topic, the partial factors for effects of action and the material properties shall be used as
describing in (EN1997, Annex A) for the combination of action will be mainly selected the
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leading variable by focusing on the parameters related to water level or water content in the tip.
All of the design value actions shall be referred to EN1990,6.3 and as the state assumption above
that the knowledge in material properties of the colliery spoil is still quite mystery. So, any
effects related to the colliery shall be treated as unfavorable.
2.2.5.3 The serviceability limit states design
The effects that must be consider in this design type are the long term creep under drained
condition, the change in ground-water conditions and corresponding pore-water pressures, and
the mining activity on the opposite side of the Aberfan village. The hazardous from
contamination substances in the colliery tip. The records show that the pH value of the colliery
spoil is less than 3 which indicate the strong acid condition in the tip when the contaminants
generate the chemical reaction with the water. Finally, the tip is still active tip, the design for
suitable and comfortable for working of the workmen group and more future colliery load shall
be applied in this design too.

2.2.6 The Modeling

It would be wise to create a simulation of the possible modes of failure in small scale for
better understanding in the actual failure behavior or creating models for the selection of
remediation alternatives. The calculation results shall be associated with the simulation model
results in case of complicate factors are involved in the calculation. Because the more factors
involve in calculation, the more assumption must be clearly state. And the calculation results
itself may not enough to create a good design for this problems. To use the model results in the
design, the partial factors in the EN1997, annex B, B2 shall be applied.

2.2.7 The proposal for pre site investigation

As for some of the effects of actions mentioned earlier, the vital data that required in the
details calculation is still missing. Only the solid evidence we can have at that time is the
chronological sequences of aerial photograph pictured by Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence
Centre (J.A.R.I.C.) and the Ordnance survey map. The soil samples and the ground profile should
be carried out to the coalfield and investigate the required parameters including the material
properties of the tip, the various of the water contents in the tip, the pore water pressure both in
the tip and the rock layer beneath the tip, an underground water layer, and the geology details on
site.
 Purpose a number of Bore hole logs for surveying the soil layer underneath the site
 Install the piezometers for measuring the head of the water and surveying the ground
water behavior
 Take soil samples from the borehole logs and also from the tip materials for producing the
laboratory check of the properties for unit weight, density, various of water content ,
permeability, strength, and also do the contamination check for the waste material too.
 Send the geotechnical team to explore the existed failure plain that still have an active
movement for precaution during the construction method of solving problem and for
roughly prediction of the second wave of the slide disaster.
 Do the detail studies of the rock layer behavior beneath the coalfield site especially the
underground springs.

2.2.8 A note of items to be checked during construction and monitoring and maintenance
 The lateral and vertical ground movement of the slope (instigate the circular slip). The
vertical movement can be measured by using inclinometers, and the horizontal movement
can be measured by conventional surveying including of the changing of the slope angle.
 The recently mining activity (instigate the circular slip)
 The recent seismic and earthquake (instigate the circular slip)
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 The weather forecast for the precipitation in the site area (in case of continuous raining
during the construction, the risk to have a disaster will increase).
 The level of the water inside the tip (decrease the stability of the slope)
 The rate of movement by installing the remote digital readout on the instability slope. So,
the alarm will sound earlier before too late.
***all the equipments for measuring the parameters above shall maintenance to ensure
that they always in working status. ***

3. Supervision plan and Monitoring

For this coalfield site, the supervision design shall fall into the DSL2 level which is a normal
supervision and the minimum requirement is to be checked by different person that may work in
the same organization (EN1990, Annex B, Table B4).
The Inspection or monitoring during the execution shall fall into IL2 level which is a normal
inspection, and the requirement is doing in accordance with the procedures of the organization.
For the period of time to inspection, it depends on the site investigation result and varies upon the
type of the parameters that need to be checked. By using the past study of the slope failure in this
area and using the writer engineering judgment, the writer suggested that the colliery spoil site
should have post inspections at least 5 years after finishing installation of the slope protection
method (EN1990, Annex B, Table B5).
The people in supervision team shall come from the specific fields shown below.
 Mining
 Soil mechanics
 Meteorology
 Groundwater Resources
 Geology (in case of the moving of the fault affect to the stability)

4. The suggested remediation

The failures of slope stability come from the high water quantity inside the colliery tip. This
water reduces the strength of the slope and causes the collapse and liquefaction. To prevent
failure, there are two way to solve the problems; increase the strength of the slope or dewater out
of the slope.

4.1 For short term

4.1.1 Tieback Anchor
A structural stabilization method which uses the tensile member to take the force on the
slope usually consist of steel rods inside grouted holes that longer than the critical failure plain as
illustrated in figure3. However, this method is very expensive and it looks like putting a good
material into a lump of colliery debris. It may be good for only temporary structure and may
reuse this material again later.

Figure3. Tieback Anchor

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4.1.2 Water drainage system

The water drainage system shall be installed on the site. From the geology of the site the tips
are located on the sandstone layer which confined the underground springs inside. And the lower
part of the slope surface is the boulder clay layer which has very low permeability. So, this layer
is tapped the water from the lower sandstone layer inside. The only way that water can come out
is the outcrop between the sandstone layer and boulder clay which is located near the beneath the
tip. So, the economical and effective way is to install the horizontal perorated pipe where the
water comes up to the tips and built an open channel to divert it in to nearby unused canal nearby
the site.

Figure4. The perforated pipe and filter Figure5. The horizontal and vertical drainage system

4.1.3 Install the electronic devices to detected the unusual soil movement
This is best for the short term solution and raises the moral of the people who live in Aberfan
village. Because human will feels safe and sound if they notice the activation of security system.
At least, it can sound the alarm of the next disaster to the village.

Figure6. The Inclinometer on circular surface

4.2 For long term

4.2.1 Improving the design criteria to increase the stability of the tip
The coarse materials should be placed in thin layers along the tips to provide the reasonable
degree of compaction. From consideration of in stability term, it reduces permeability and
seepage through the tip and also reduces the polluted or tainted material in the tip drainage too.
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4.2.2 Re-vegetating techniques in contaminated land

Today, the bio-science technology has developed the new technique to enable some types of
plant grow in such tainted environment. So, the waste and marginal land can be used to cultivate
energy crops such as oil seed rape, osier willow and a large number of other plants that could also
provide biomass for combined heating and power. These plants will drain the exceeded water out
of the tip and also preventing the long term creep effects by covering the tip surface. These plants
can also produce the biomass for combined heating and power. So, it is another way to both
increase slope stability and produce another renewable energy.
4.2.3 Design the usage of the colliery spoil site
With great site utility and planning ahead, the owner can select to build the tip on the site;
even in the same area the risk of accident is different. Some areas are low risk of land slide but
others are not.
However, the unstable ground should be avoided. It will be better if NCB have knowledge to
select the appropriate location for the dumping the colliery and other debris. Instead of buying
location of waste land above the ground such as Merthyr Mountain, NCB can pick the lands that
cause less consequence than the Aberfan case.