Investigation of channel embankment stability at different stability conditions

Abstract

High water discharge due to prolonged heavy rainfalls will result in an undesirable condition for the stability of a channel embankment. Due to this natural disaster, channel embankment failures may occur causing losses to life and property in flood-prone areas. In this work, the stability conditions of channel embankments are investigated using computer software that utilizes a finite element method (FEM). The embankment is modeled in four typical stability conditions that may cause failure namely: at the end of construction, during average service conditions, during flooding, and during rapid drawdown conditions. For comparison, the embankment was reinforced with nonwoven geotextiles to study the effect on these stability conditions. A proposed analytical method consisting of seepage, stress-deformation, and stability analyses is performed. The modelling technique proposed not only facilitates the computation of factor of safety but also the deformation due to embankment consolidation.