Introduction to BS 8006

&
Embankments on Soft Soils

Pat Naughton

Maccaferri Asia, Kuala Lumper, January 2011 1

 BS 8006 Overview
• New version: October
2010
• Covers:
– Wall
– Slopes
– Embankments
• On soft soil
• Over piles
• Over areas prone to
subsidence

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 Design methodology
• European geotechnical design codes have moved to
limit equilibrium analysis
– Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design
• BS 8006 (1995) is a limit (force) equilibrium design
code
– Partial load factors
– Partial material factors
– Overall factor of safety of unity
– Ultimate and serviceability limit state
• Both limit states must be satisfied
 strength 
fn  , load . factor   unity
 2011
Maccaferri Asia, Kuala Lumper, January
factor  3
 Load and strength factors BS 8006
(Section 8 Embankments on poor ground)
Partial factors Ultimate limit Serviceability
state limit state
Load factor Soil unit mass ffs = 1.3 ffs = 1.0
External dead loads ff = 1.2 ff = 1.0
External live loads fq = 1.3 fq = 1.0
Soil material factors TanCV’ fms = 1.0 fms = 1.0

Soil/reinforcement Sliding across surface of fs = 1.3 fs = 1.0

interaction factors reinforcement
Pull-out resistance of fp = 1.3 fp = 1.0
reinforcements

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 Embankments on Soft Soil

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 Embankments on soft soil
• Construction on soft soil, where construction
time and magnitude of settlement are not of
concern
• The stability of embankments on soft soil is
governed by shearing resistance of the
foundation
– Essentially the problem is a bearing capacity
problem

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 Reinforced embankment construction

Embankment Anchorage
block
Reinforcement

Drainage blanket (0.5 m crushed stone)

Drainage blanket provides a working platform

and also a drainage layer for dissipation of excess
pore water pressure
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 Influence of reinforcement on the
stability of the embankment
Reinforcement
no longer required

With reinforcement
Overall factor of safety

1.0
Without
reinforcement

End of construction

Time
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 Influence of reinforcement on the
stability of the embankment
End of construction
reinforcement
Force in

Time
Consolidation of soft soil
CU of soft soil

Time
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 Ultimate limit state
Slip within Embankment
Embankment fill
Local stability: Reinforcement

H tan  'CV
 H tan CV

Ls f ms LS f ms Soft soil foundation

Rotational stability: Embankment

(Use Macstars) Reinforcement
 Slip surface analysis
 Plasticity solutions Soft soil foundation
 Finite element analysis
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 Ultimate limit state
In general T determined from slip circle analysis using MacStars in critical
Horizontal movement Embankment
Lateral sliding: of fill
Reinforcement

Tds  0.5K a H ( f fsH  2 f q ws )

Tds  0.5K a H ( f fsH  2 f q ws ) Soft soil foundation

T  Tds  Trf

Foundation extrusion: Lateral extrusion Embankment

of foundation Reinforcement
a'bc Cuo Le
Trf 
f ms Soft soil foundation
 4C 
 f fs 1 H  f q ws  U  zc
LS   
f ms
Maccaferri Asia, Kuala Lumper, January 2011 1   bc' CU 11
f ms
 Ultimate limit state

Reinforcement
Overall stability Embankment
 Conventional slip
surface analysis
Can be checked using
MacStars Soft soil foundation

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 Serviceability limit state
Reinforcement strain: Embankment
 Initial short term Reinforcement
strain < 5 %
 Long term conditions
strain < 5-10 % Soft soil foundation

Foundation settlement:
Embankment
 Presence of basal
Reinforcement
reinforcement does not
influence settlement
characteristics of the Soft soil foundation
embankment
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 Consideration of design life
Embankment on soft soil
Stage construction
of embankment Consolidation of soft soil

Increase in CU
Reinforcement
no longer required
reinforcement
Tension in

Time
Design life of reinforcement < 10 years

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 Embankments on soft soil
• Design considerations
– The maximum reinforcement strains observed in
the field under working conditions are usually
lower than the design values
– The reinforcement most beneficial where the soil
strength increases with depth
– FEM useful for analysing reinforced embankments
constructed over soft deposits
• Care need in types of constitutive model used

Rowe & Li (2002)

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 Embankments on soft soil
– The use of reinforcement can reduce the number of
construction stages and consequently shorten the
construction time for embankments on soft soil

Rowe & Li (2002)

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 Embankments on Soft Soil
• Use of observational method important
– Instrument the embankment and soft soil
• Pore pressure measurement
• Settlement measurements
• Lateral measurements
• Strain gauges on reinforcement
• FEM should be updated based on field measurements during
construction
• Modify the construction process (possible higher lift heights)

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 Embankment on Soft Soil
• Gateway project, Brisbane Australia

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 Embankments on soft soil

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 Embankments on soft soil

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 Embankments on soft soil

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 Embankments on soft soil

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 Embankments on soft soil

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 Embankments on Soft Soil
• Use of the observational method can be very
cost effective:
– In time
– And money
• Extensive testing of soil required
– FEM analysis and soil model parameters
• Extensive monitoring
• Somebody to make a discussion on what to do
at each stage
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 Embankments on soft soil
• Embankments constructed in steps
– Allows undrained shear strength to increase
• Improves bearing capacity and stability
– Settlements will occur
• If settlements are large the geometry of the
embankment must be updated
• Significantly more fill may be required to reach design
height

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 Embankments on soft soil

Maccaferri project in Brisbane

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 Embankments on soft soil
• No of layers of reinforcement

T3
T2
T T1
Field measurement by
Rowe & Li (2002) showed
T 1 > T2 > T3
In BS 8006 higher strength is
Required where multiple layers
of reinforcement used:
TD
 T1  T2  T3  ...  Tn
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 Improvement Techniques used with
Embankments on Soft Soil
• Vertical drains
– Reduces time for consolidation/settlement
– No effect on magnitude of settlement
• Surcharging
– Used to control post-construction settlements
– Can increase construction period
– Used in conjunction with light weight fill

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 Improvement Techniques used with
Embankments on Soft Soil
• Vacuum consolidation
– Method of surcharging soil without the need for extra fill
– Control post-consolidation settlements
• Lime/Cement stabilisation
– Increase the strength of soft soil
– Reduce settlement
– Lime: predominately clay / cement predominately sand
– Care needed as pH of soil can reduce (cement) / increase
(lime) significantly
• Partial material factors for reinforcement (environmental effects)
• Short term effect (months max)

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 Improvement Techniques used with
Embankments on Soft Soil
• Sand/stone columns
– Increase strength of soft soil
– Reduce settlement

• Sand/stone columns & lime/cement

stabilisation form columns on which the
reinforcement sits: This is generally not
considered a piled embankment!

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 Vertical Drains
Embankment
Vertical drains
Vertical drains Reinforcement
 Increases rate of pore
water pressure dissipation Soft soil foundation
 Faster increase in CU Drainage

Vertical drains allow horizontal drainage:

 Shortens the drainage path considerably
 Coefficient of consolidationhorizontal
 2-3 Coefficient of consolidationvertical

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 Vertical Drains
• In terms of reinforced embankment on soft
soil:
– Shortens time reinforcement is required
– Shear strength increases more quickly
– Vertical drains have no effect on magnitude of
settlement
– Often used with surcharging / lightweight fill
• Control post-construction settlements

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 Surcharging

Preloading (surcharging)
 Higher embankment than
Surcharge Embankment
required Required height
 Useful for controlling post height
construction settlement Reinforcement

Initial
conditions Surcharge
Void ratio

height
Soft soil foundation

When the surchage is removed

Required
height consolidation occurrs along unload/reload
line (green line) rather than the virgin
Log p’ compression line (red line)
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 Surcharging
• In terms of reinforced embankment on soft
soil:
– Used to control post-construction settlements
– When using surcharging higher grade/strength
reinforcement required as embankment height
must be higher than final height
• Construction period extended
– Often used with vertical drains to increase shear
strength more quickly

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 Vacuum Consolidation
Embankment
Vertical drains
The top of the vertical drains Reinforcement
connected to a large vacuum
pump and the vacuum applied Soft soil foundation
Drainage

The vacuum has the effect of reducing the pore

pressure in the soil, thus increasing the effective
stress, leading to consolidation
Special techniques are required to seal the soil
surface
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 Vacuum Consolidation
• In terms of reinforced embankment on soft soil:
– Similar effect to surcharging: control of post
construction settlements
• No extra fill to surcharge soft soil required
– Can increase rate of consolidation/settlement
– Care needed as the top of the soil layer needs to be
sealed and protected
• Can increase cost of installing reinforcement
• Reinforcement may not be installed where we would like
– Interface between soft soil and embankment

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 Lime/cement stabilisation
• Addition of lime/cement stiffens the soft soil
• Only suitable under certain conditions
• Two treatment methods:
– Surface treatment: top 1 m

– Deep treatment: full depth in columns

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 Lime/cement stabilisation
• In terms of reinforced embankment on soft
soil:
– Increases stiffness of soft soil
• Increases strength/bearing capacity
• Reduced settlement
– Site specific design / improvement is soil stiffness
– Not a piled embankment
– pH in soil can change significantly
• Generally a short term pH change (months max)

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 Sand / stone columns
• Columns of sand/stones are formed in the soft
soil
• Often called vibro-compaction
• Increases stiffness of soft soil
– Strength increase
– Reduction of settlement

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 Sand / stone columns
• In terms of reinforced embankment on soft
soil:
– Increases stiffness of soft soil
• Increases strength/bearing capacity
• Reduced settlement
– Site specific design / improvement is soil stiffness
• No unified design approach
– Not a piled embankment

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 Effect of Columns
• Lime/cement deep stabilisation and
sand/stone columns are not piled
embankments:
– Settlements of columns can occur which may
interfere with arching
• Difficult to design geosynthetic reinforcement
in these cases:
– Site specific
– How to account for increased stiffness

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 A case history
• Newcastle Coal Infrastructure group (NCIG)
Australia
• embankment supporting the new 66 mega tons
per annum coal loader
• Two main concerns:
– Embankment fill consisted of fly ash, with pH values in
excess of 12
– the particle size up to 100mm resulting in potentially
high installation damage factors
• Two layers of Paralink 850L
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 A case history

• Spreader beam useful for installation (rolls 0.5t-1t+)

• Were possible leave vegetation in place
• Were possible have a working platform, good drainage
properties (will help dissipate pore pressures)

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 A case history
Roles are heavy: make sure
you start in the correct place
VERY VERY difficult to adjust
Later!

If a wrap around is required

for bond length make sure
this is accounted for
before unrolling the material

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 FAQ for Consultants/Contractors
• Can never have too much information!
• Soil classification
– Liquid limit This is the basic information required
for each layer of the foundation soil
– Plastic limit
– Natural moisture content
• Stability analysis
– Strength parameters: cu, cu/v’, c & ’
• Consolidation analysis
– Cc, Cs, Cv, mv
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