Settlement-time behaviour of granular embankments

Creep settlements are the main cause of deterioration of road pavement and impervious elements of darns, and therefore a method to calculate them is needed. Viscoelastic models (e.g. the standard linear solid) have been chosen to represent the creep of granular materials (Figure 1). Finite element calculations show that quasi-oedometric conditions exist near the centre of embankments. Explicit expressions for one-dimensional viscoelastic settlements of an embankment during and after construction have been obtained for any loading law and drawn for a linear load. The three viscoelastic parameters, E-o, R-c and T-r can be determined through laboratory or held testing, and the results can be adjusted by using settlement records. Good agreement has been found between measured and calculated settlements at several dams. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.