Undrained shear strength in the surficial weathered crust

G U Y LEFEBVRE
Department of Civil Engineering, Universitt rle Slzerbrooke, Sherbrooke, Que., Canada J1K 2R1

JEAN-JACQUES PARE
Sociktk rl'irzergie de la baie James, MontrCal, Que., Canada H2Z 4M8
AND

OSCAR DASCAL
Hydro-Qu@bec,M011trkr11, Qrre., Catlacln H2Z l A 4

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Received June 16, 1986 Accepted October 2, 1986 Most geotechnical engineers feel that the undrained shear strength measured by the field vane in the surficial weathered crust cannot be fully mobilized during the failure of an embankment built of soft clay deposits. Consequently, the vane strength in the crust is generally reduced by some arbitrary means before stability calculations are performed. This paper presents the results of an experimental program aimed at evaluating the available undrained shear strength in the crust. In situ shear box and plate loading tests as well as triaxial compression and extension tests indicate that the available undrained shear strength in the crust is of the same magnitude as the vane strength measured in the intact clay immediately below the crust. This paper also proposes a method to account for the effect of the embankment confinement in the central portion of the foundation. The proposed methodology is checked by a back analysis of the failure of the Olga test embankment built at Matagami, Quebec. Key worr1.s: vane test, vane test correction, weathered crust, shear box, plate loading test, embankment stability. Le scissomktre de terrain montre habituellement des valeurs ClevCes de rCsistance dans la couche alterte la surface des dCpBts d'argile molle. Cette resistance ClevCe est cependant gtneralement percue comme non complktement mobilisable la rupture d'un remblai construit sur un dCpBt d'argile. Pour fin d'analyse de stabilitC, cette resistance tlevte mesurke au scissombtre dans la couche altCrCe est habituellement rCduite par diffkrentes corrections totalement arbitraires. Cet article prtsente les resultats d'un programme experimental realis6 pour Cvaluer la rtsistance au cisaillement non drain6 de la couche alttrte. Des essais B la boite B cisaillement in situ et des essais de plaque de chargement furent effectuCs sur le terrain et le eomportement fut aussi CtudiC en laboratoire au moyen d'essais triaxiaux en compression et en extension. Les rksultats obtenus ambnent la conclusion que la rCsistance au cisaillement non drain6 de I'argile de la cro0te est ii peu prks tgale ii la resistance mesurCe au scissomktre dans l'argile intacte immediatement sous la cro0te. Une mCthodologie est proposie pour Cvaluer la resistance au cisaillement disponible dans la cro0te pour fin d'analyse de stabiliti en considCrant l'effet de confinement du remblai dans la partie centrale de la fondation. Enfin, la mtthodologie est vkrifite par I'analyse ii rebours de la rupture d'une digue d'essai 2 Matagami (QuCbec). Mots clks :essais au scissom&tre,correction du scissomktre, crocte altCrCe, boite cisaillement, essai de plaque, stabilitC de remblai.
Can. Geotech. J. 24. 23-34 (1987)

A hardened crust has developed at the surface of many deposits of soft marine or lacustrine soft clay, as a result of desiccation, frost action, and weathering in general. The water content has been significantly reduced in this layer, often resulting in a liquidity index lower than 0.5, as compared with values generally higher than unity in sensitive nonweathered clays. One of the most significant characteristics of this crust is its much higher undrained shear strength measured by the field vane compared with values measured in the intact clay underlying the crust. In eastern Canadian clay deposits, the thickness of the weathered crust generally varies from 1 to 5 m and is often of the order of 3 m. The field vane test is an accepted method for evaluating the undrained shear strength of clay foundation materials for embankment stability analyses. The strength measured in the weathered crust may have significant effect on the calculated factor of safety, since it m a y be several times as high as that in the underlying intact clav (Graham 1979). Most geotechr;icai engineeri feel that the high undrained shear strength measured in the crust by the field vane cannot be fully mobilized in the failure of an embankment on a clay foundation because of the existence of fissuring, stress-strain compatibility, as well as other reasons (La Rochelle etal. 1974; ~efebvre el al. 1974). The different corrections used to reduce the vane strength in the crust varies from one engineer to the other and are purely arbitrary, based simply on the fact that the

strength appears too high. La Rochelle e t a l . (1974) proposed a more fundamental approach by suggesting the use of the socalled undrained residual strength determined in the laboratory by unconsolidated undrained tests. This approach leads to difficulty since, in the crust material, the undrained compressive strength generally increases with strain as a result of dilatancy. The purpose of this paper is to compare the field vane strength in the crust with the results of other field tests (namely plate loading and large in situ shear box tests) and laboratory triaxial tests. The comparison of the undrained strengths determined by different tests will give some insight into the shearing resistance that can be mobilized during the failure of an embankment and will form the basis of a methodology for evaluating the undrained shear strength in the crust. Finally, the results will b e tested by the back analysis of an embankment failure.

Site description and testing program

The study presented in this paper was conducted at the Olga site, near Matagami, some 700 km northwest of Montreal. Soft lacustrine clay deposits formed in the ancient glacial lake Barlow-Ojibway overlay the region. A test embankment was built at this site in 1972 by Hydro-QuCbec. One of the test embankments (dyke A) was brought to failure and the results were published by Dascal et a / . (1972). The dyke failed at a height of 4 m with a calculated factor of safety of 1.6. T h e factor of safety

WATER CONTENT ( % ) 2 0 30 40 5 0 6 0 70 8 0 0.2

CAN. GEOTECH. J . VOL. 24. 19x7

UNDRAINED SHEAR STRENGTH (kPa)

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3C.

PLATE TEST SHEAR BOX TEST

FIG. 1 . Geotechnical properties of the weathered crust, east trench, Olga site.

was calculated using the geometry of the dyke just before failure and an average undrained shear strength profile measured with the field vane. The vane strengths were not reduced in the weathered crust, which was about 4.0 m thick. Undrained shear stengths of the order of 45 kPa were noted in the crust as compared with 15 kPa in the underlying intact clay. The Olga lacustrine clay has a plasticity index of about 40. Application of the widely accepted Bjerrum correction of the field vane, which is based on the plasticity index, results in a reduction of 15% in the calculated factor of safety at failure. n t the Olga test dyke results, During a recent r e a s s e ~ s ~ e of part of the overestimation of the factor of safety was thought to be related to the difference between the strength measured in the crust by the field vane and the one actually mobilized at failure. A testing program was carried out in 1981 by the SociCtC d'knergie de la baie James and the UniversitC de Sherbrooke to obtain insight into the actual shear strength mobilized in the crust during shear. Field work was carried out at Olga for two locations 400 m apart and within 350 m of the 1972 failed test dyke. At both locations, the clay deposit is covered by about 0.3 m of peat. It should be noted that in this paper, depths for the 198 L testing program refer to the surface of the clay deposit. The clay in the weathered crust is light brown in colour, contains many microfissures, and could be easily broken into small cubes. Some open subvertical fissures were noted. The clav-size fraction (<2 pm) was of the order of 80% in the crust as well as in the intact underlying clay. At each location (east trench, north trench), two large shear box tests and six plate loading tests were performed in addition to eight Nilcon vane profiles. Block samples were obtained at each location from surficial trenches for laboratory triaxial testing. It should be noted that, except in the case of the vane, all of the tests were done in the upper 1.1 m. The index properties and the vane test results in the crust are presented for each location in Figs. 1 and 2. The water content and plasticity data shown in Figs. 1 and 2 between the 2.3 and 3.2 m depths were obtained in 1977 from a neighbouring borehole. At the two

locations, the vane profiles identify a crust thickness of about 2 m. Even if there exists a gap in the water content data between the 1.1 and 2.3 m depths, the thickness of the crust appears reasonably confirmed by the variation of water content with depth.

Testing procedures
Vane testing Standard Nilcon vane tests were performed every 30 cm down the soil profile. Plate loading tests Plate loading tests were performed in the bottom of trenches large enough to avoid the depth surcharge effect using 30 and 45 cm diameter plates. The last 10- 15 cm was carefully hand dug and a thin sand cushion a few millimetres thick was placed between the plates and the clay to make a better plate-to-soil contact. The vertical deformation during loading was measured with three deflectometers installed at the periphery of the plates. Loads were applied with a hydraulic jack and monitored from the manometer readings. The hydraulic flow in the jack was controlled to have a constant rate of deformation of 1.25 mm/ min. The tests were terminated at a vertical deformation of about 70 mm. The plate loading tests were performed at depths of about 0.20,0.70, and 1.10 m. Two tests were performed at each depth, using the 30 and 45 cm diameter plates.

In situ shear tests A steel shear box 60 x 60 cm and 40 cm high was used for the in situ shear tests. The digging of the trenches was stopped some 40 cm above the desired depth of the shear plane. Afterpositioning the shear box, the digging of the trench was continued outside the shear box and the latter was gradually pushed down with the lowering of the bottom of the trench. At the final position, a vertical clearance of about 15 mm was kept between the lower end of the shear box and the bottom of the trench to allow a free horizontal displacement of the shear box. A steel cover fitting inside the shear box was placed on top of the soil to be sheared. The normal stress was applied by means of a dead

LEFEBVRE ET AL.

25

WATER CONTENT (%)

UNDRAINED SHEAR S T R E N G T H ( ~ P ~ )

PLATE TEST SHEAR BOX TEST

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FIG.2. Geotechnical properties of the weathered crust, north trench, Olga site.

APPLIED PRESSURE

q (k~a)

FIG.3. Pressure-deformation curves from plate loading tests, north trench

weight placed on the steel cover. The horizontal displacement of the shear box and the vertical displacement of the steel cover were monitored by deflectometers. The horizontal force was applied by two parallel hydraulic jacks connected to a hydraulic pump and evaluated with a manometer. The flow of the pump

was controlled to provide a horizontal displacement of about 1.25 mm/min. 'The shear tests were stopped at an horizontal displacement of about 80 mm. The shear planes were located between 0.4 and 1 . 1 m depths. Three of the tests were sheared under a normal stress of 25 kPa; the other, under 45 kPa.

26

C A N . GEOTECH. I. VOL. 24. 1987

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APPLIED PRESSURE

(k~a)

FIG.4. Pressure-deformation curves from plate loading tests, east trench

Laboratory triaxial tests Specimens 35.5 mm in diameter and 7 1 mm in height were cut from block samples and sheared undrained in both triaxial compression and extension. They were anisotropically consolidated to a vertical pressure of 20 kPa using a u,/u, ratio of 0.55. A back pressure of 100 kPa was used in the tests. Extension was achieved by reducing the vertical pressure and keeping the cell pressure constant. Vertical compression and extension was strain controlled at a rate of 0.006 mm/min.
Results of field tests Plate loading tests The curves expressing vertical deformation as a function of applied pressure are presented in Figs. 3 and 4 for the two locations. The diameter of the plate used in the tests is identified on each figure; plate diameter does not appear to have a significant effect on the results. None of the curves shows a wellidentified yield point and for interpretation purposes, the failure has been defined at the point of maximum curvature. The results are summarized in Table 1. The undrained shear strength has been estimated using the applied pressure at failure, q,, and a bearing capacity formula where C, = qs/5.5. The mobilized undrained shear strength does not appear to vary with depth for the interval 0.15-1.10 m, except at the east trench where a higher undrained shear strength was noted at the I .O m depth. For all of the 12 plate loading tests, the estimated undrained shear strength varies from 15.5 to 30.9 kPa with an average of 20.8 kPa. In situ shear tests The results of the large in situ shear box tests are presented in

TABLE 1. Summary of the plate loading tests Test number PL-0 I PL-02 PL-03 PL-04 PL-05 PL-06 PL-07 PL-08 PL-09 PL- 10 PL- I 1 PL- 12 Plate diameter (cm) Depth (m)
qr

AHr

C,

Location North North North North North North East East East East East East

(kPa)

(cm)

(kPa)

Figs. 5 and 6. Both tests were performed under a normal stress of 26.4 kPa in the east trench. A well-defined yield point was observed in each of the tests (Fig. 5), defining shear strengths of 14 kPa at 0.81 m depth and 20 kPa at 1.14 m depth. The test at the 0.41 m depth in the north trench was performed under a normal stress of 25.9 kPa, resulting in a shear strength of 19.5 kPa (Fig. 6). For the test at 1 .O m, a higher normal stress was used (45.1 kPa) and a different behaviour was observed as the shearing resistance continued to increase with horizontal displacement. A shear strength of 39 kPa was mobilized at the of 7.5 cm. In all end of the test with a horizontal dis~lacement four shear box tests, the vertical'deflectometer indicated a downward displacement of the top cover, possibly due to

LEFEBVRE ET AL.

27

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_r
a
0

20

V) V)

t;;
a

a
W
V)

TEST no. CD-OI CD-02

DEPTH 0.41 m 1.00m

=N

25.9kPa 45.1kPa

0 0 2 2
0

5 I Z W

0.5

>'\
\

4 6 8 1 0 HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT (cm) 4 6 8 10

12 12

4 6 8 1 0 HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT (cm)

12

"\

\\

9
a I I I
n

1.0

'

1
CO-04
\ \

',

FIG.5. Stress-displacement curves from in situ shear box tests, east trench. closure of the fissures during shear and (or) compression of the soil against the sides of the shear box.

FIG.6. Stress-displacement curves from in situ shear box tests, north

trench. sured in the shear box test is comparable to the value of 2 l kPa obtained from the plate loading tests. The results of the shear box and the plate loading tests are compared with the vane profiles for each location in Figs. 1 and 2. For the plate loading tests, an average shear strength has been calculated for each depth from results obtained with 30 and 45 cm diameter plates. At both locations, the plate loading and shear box tests have defined undrained shear strengths of about 20 kPa. This is much lower than the shear strength measured by the field vane, which is of the order of 80 kPa, but is fairly similar to the vane shear strength measured in the underlying intact clay.

Discussion of the in situ test results Close agreement in the observed values of undrained shear strength was obtained from the in situ shear box tests using a normal vertical stress of 26 kPa. The measured shear strengths for those three tests varied from 14 to 20 kPa with an average value of 18 kPa. The test performed under a normal confining stress of 45 kPa yielded a significantly higher shear strength, which indicates some effect of the confining pressure. The effect of the confining pressure is possibly related to some rapid consolidation in this fissured crust material or to some increase in the dilatancy resulting from the closing of the fissures. If the result of the shear box test at the higher confinement stress is neglected, the average shear strength of 18 kPa mea-

Results of laboratory testing One set each of triaxial compression (CAUC) and triaxial extension (CAUE) tests was performed for each of the two

CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 21. 1987

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DEPTH NORTH TRENCH 0.54 m 0.69 m 3.76 m EAST TRENCH INTACT CLAY
Wi

3 2 O/O 34% 9 0 O/o

--

------

AXIAL DEFORMATION (O/o)

FIG.7. Results of triaxial compression tests consolidated at a ' , , = 20 kPa.

locations. The specimens were taken from depths of 0.540.69 m. Triaxial specimens were consolidated anisotropically to a vertical pressure of 20 kPa and to a horizontal pressure of 11 kPa. The results of the laboratory tests are presented in Table 2. The pore pressure and stress-strain curves are presented in Fig. 7 for the two triaxial compression tests. The curve obtained in 1977 from a similar test on an intact clay specimen cut from a block sample retrieved from a depth of 3.76 m in the same area is presented for comparison in Fig. 7. Note that the three tests in Fig. 7 were consolidated to a vertical pressure of 20 kPa. The speciment of intact clay was however isotropically consolidated. While the intact clay specimen showed a very sharp peak in the stress-strain curve followed by a rapid loss of strength, the

strength of the specimens of weathered clay continued to increase with deformation, owing to dilatancy. The weathered clay specimens tested in triaxial compression mobilized a shear stress of 38 kPa (east) or 30 kPa (north) at an axial deformation of 10%. However. at an axial deformation of 1%. which is comparable to the'deformation at failure for intact clay, the maximum mobilized shear stress was only 15-20 kPa. Therefore, because of high dilatancy, the weathered crust is capable of mobilizing a relatively large shear strength with corresponding large deformations; however, if one assumes a criterion of strain compatibility with the underlying intact clay and considers the possibility of progressive failure, the available shear strength in compression is significantly reduced. The weathered clay specimens have failed on a shear band inclined at 50"-55" to the horizontal.

LEFEBVRE ET AL

TABLE 2. Characteristics and results of the triaxial compression and extension tests Identification Test number CAUC-01 CAUC-02 CAUE-01 CAUE-02 Depth (m) Location 0.69 East 0.54 North 0.69 East 0.54 North Consolidation fd/u4)mdx
AV/V
(%)
E

w,
(%)

u:, a;, A H / H (kPa) (kPa) (%) 20.1 20.0 20.1 20.0 11.0 11.0 11.0 11.0

(%)

(01-03) (kPa)

Au (kPa)

32.2 34.4 32.1 32.7

0.33 -0.14 0.49 0.35 0.22 0.21 0.41 0.31

77.4 11.21 62.8 12.37" -52.2 -6.12 -7.96 -38.1

- 15.4 -0.23 - 11.5 -0.21

-42.2 -28.0

0.31 0.41

*End of the test.

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AXIAL DEFORMATION ('/o) 5.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10 0

12.0

14 0

DEPTH NORTH TRENCH 0.54 m --EAST TRENCH 0.69 m

AXIAL DEFORMATION

('10)

FIG.8. Results of triaxial extension tests consolidated at or,, = 20 kPa.

The pore pressure and stress-strain curves are presented in Fig. 8 for the triaxial extension tests. A maximum shear stress was obtained at an axial deformation of about 6%. Failure planes inclined at about 25" to the horizontal were observed in the upper parts together with a necking of the specimens. Stress paths for the compression and extension triaxial tests are presented in Fig. 9. It should be noted that in the extension tests, the o;= 0 condition was reached fairly early in the tests.

Discussion of laboratory test results

For the extension tests, the shear strength mobilization has been possibly limited by the a : = 0 condition. The anisotropy ratio (strength in extension divided by that in compression) is difficult to evaluate because of a no-failure condition in the compression tests. At an axial deformation of 5 % , the ratio of mobilized extension to compression strength is of the order of 0.75. According to Ladd et al. (1977), this anisotropy ratio

CAN. GEOTECH. J . VOL. 24. 1987

, 0 . 5 ~

/
-----EAST TRENCH NORTH TRENCH

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FIG.9. Stress path for compression and extension triaxial tests.

should be on the order of 0.6 for a clay with a plasticity index of 40. On this basis, the shear strength in extension does not appear to have been underestimated in the present program. In a simplified manner, the state of stress on a failure circle in an embankment foundation can be associated with compression for the foundation zone under the central part of the embankment, with extension for the foundation zone under the toe of embankment, and with simple shear in the zone in between (Fig. 10). Since the zone associated with simple shear is expected to generally lie in the intact clay below the crust, one can assume that the loading in the crust will be compression and extension as illustrated in Fig. 10. As an approximation, the average shear strength mobilized on the failure surface in the crust can be taken as the mean shear strength obtained from compression and extension triaxial tests. The mean stress-strain curves from compression and extension triaxial tests are presented in Fig. 1 1 for both locations (north and east trenches). Since failure planes have developed in triaxial tests at an angle of about 2.5" to the direction of the major principal stress, the half deviator stress has been multiplied by cos 25" to arrive at the undrained shear strength mobilized on the failure plane presented in Fig. 1 1 . As noticed in the individual triaxial tests, the weathered crust appears stronger in the east trench. The mean curves do not show a well-defined yield point and the shear strength keeps increasing with deformation. The mobilized shear strength increases from 18 to 26 kPa when the axial deformation is

increased from 2 to 5% for the east trench and from 13 to 18 kPa for the north trench. Considering the brittle response of the underlying intact clay, it is doubtful that a deformation equivalent to an axial deformation higher than a few percent could develop before complete failure of the foundation. In any event, assuming an axial deformation of 2-5%, it can be concluded that according to the results of the triaxial tests, the undrained shear strength in the crust is of the order of 20 kPa. This value confirms the data from the in situ shear box and plate loading tests. Application to embankment stability analysis In the upper weathered crust at the Olga site, the in situ and laboratory triaxial tests both indicate that the mobilized undrained shear strength is much lower than the strength measured by the field vane and is in fact very close to the strength measured by the field vane in the underlying intact clay (Figs. 1 and 2). The results indicate that the field vane strength measured in the crust should be discarded for stability analysis and be used only to define the crust thickness. For truly undrained conditions, the shear strength in the crust should be assumed to be equal to the strength measured in the intact clay immediately below the crust. However, owing to a relatively high permeability related to fissuring and or incomplete saturation of the crust material, it is probable that a portion of the confinement pressure applied by the embankment becomes effective during construction and results in an increase in undrained shear

LEFEBVRE ET AL.

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CENTER OF THE EMBANKMENT CONFINED ZONE (A)

TOE OF THE EMBANKMENT UNCONFINED ZONE ( 0 )

MEAN PROFILE

FIG. 10. Estimation of the undrained shear strength in the weathered crust.

strength. The effect of the confinement pressure has not been specifically studied in this testing program, but one in situ shear box test conducted under a larger normal confinement stress seems to confirm the influence of confinement pressure. In the area where the failure surface is near the ground surface, at the toe of the embankment, the confinement is not significantly affected by the embankment load and the undrained shear strength in the crust should be assumed to be equal to the strength measured in the intact clay immediately below the embankment. This assumption could, however, be too conservative under the central portion of the embankment where the confinement is significantly increased especially for high embankment. Under the central portion of the embankment, the undrained shear strength in the crustal material should be related to embankment confinement. The ratio C,,/u: obtained from triaxial compression tests for normally consolidated clay is of the order of 0.3 (Ladd et ul. 1977). Until studies become available on the confinement effect, it would appear reasonable to express the shear strength in the crust beneath the central portion of the embankment as the larger of Cu = 0.25Au: (Au: being the embankment load), or the measured Cuin the intact clay. For stability analysis, an average undrained shear strength profile can be compiled in the crust for the toe zone and the central zone as illustrated in Fig. 10. Reanalysis of Olga dyke A The site conditions, construction, and failure of the Olga A test embankment have been described by Dascal et al. (1972). At the location of the dyke the clay deposit was covered by a peat layer close to 1.8 m thick, and extended to a depth of about 17 m. The surficial weathered crust had a thickness of the order of 4 m. According to the design, the peat was supposed to be

excavated inside strips 15 m wide and oriented along the transverse and longitudinal directions of the embankment. Problems were however encountered in the excavation and some peat has possibly been left in place at the bottom of the excavated strips. According to Dascal et al. (1972), there were some uncertainties on the unit weight of the material of the dyke (nonplastic till); three unit weight measurements during construction had given values varying between 18.9 and 21.6 kN/m3. The dyke is reported to have failed at a height of 4 m and with slope of about 3.5:l. The working pad put in place before construction was also playing the role of a small berm, as shown in Fig. 12. From field observations and the breakage of instruments, the failure was reported to have taken place along a circular arc extending to depths between 9 and 13 m in the clay foundation. Analysis of the failure using the field vane profile as measured yielded a calculated factor of safety of the order of 1.6 (Dascal et a/. 1972) and the authors recommended firstly that-a modified plasticity index (I,, = w - w,) be calculated to apply the Bjerrum correction based on plasticity index and that secondly a further reduction factor be applied to account for progressive failure. In the reanalysis of the test embankment failure, the investigation and construction data were reexamined and no evidence was found to change the geometry at failure reported by Dascal et al. (1972). The unit weight of the fill material was taken as the average of the values obtained during construction, resulting in a unit weight of 20.8 kN/m3. A friction angle of 30" was assumed for the fill material. The stability analysis was carried out using the modified Bishop method assuming a circular failure surface and using a computer program that allows the undrained shear strength to be entered as a continuous profile. The geometry of the dyke before failure is shown in Fig. 12 with the vane profiles in the founda-

CAN.

GEOTECH. J. VOL. 24.

1987

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--------

NORTH TRENCH EAST TRENCH

A X I A L DEFORMATION

(O/o)

FIG.11. Undrained shear strength on the failure plane averaged for compression and extension triaxial tests.

tion clay. The mean in situ vane profile represents the average of 17 profiles obtained before construction with the Nilcon vane borer. Stability analyses run using the mean in situ vane profile with no correction yielded a factor of safety of 1.62, which is similar to the one reported by Dascal et al. (1972). Figure 12 also shows the undrained shear strength in the crust determined following the method proposed in this study. The undrained shear strength at the toe of embankment is assumed to be constant in the crust and equal to the value measured in the intact clay immediately below. Under the central portion of the embankment the shear strength at the original ground surface is taken to be equal to one-quarter of the weight of the embankment and decreases linearly with depth to the intact clay shear strength. Profiles from the toe and central portion are combined to give the undrained shear strength profile used in the analysis (Fig. 12). A factor of safety of 1.10 was obtained using this mean profile.

Discussion There is no doubt that assumptions regarding the shear strength in the weathered crust can significantly alter the prediction of embankment performance (Graham 1979). For example, the failure of the Olga A test embankment was predicted to occur at a height of 8 m, but actually happened at a height of 4 m (Dascal et al. 1972). The problem is even more acute in back analyzing test embankment failures in order to assess the accuracy of the undrained shear strength estimates for the intact clay foundation materials, thus verifying the methodology of the shear strength evaluation. The knowledge of soft clay behavior obtained by constructing a test embankment can be detrimentally affected by the uncertainty of arbitrary corrections made to the shear strength profile in the weathered crust. The Olga A case is a good example. Another good example is reported by La Rochelle et al. (1974), where the calculated factor of safety at

LEFEBVRE ET AL.

I0

20

30

40

GRANULAR FILL

0 = 30 l = 20.8 k ~ / r n ~

OUTSIDE ZONE CENTRAL PORTION AVERAGE PROFILE

CLAY

8=

15.0 ~ N / I T I ~

MEAN IN SlTU VANE PROFILE

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1 l

/
I 2 3 4 5 6 7

m TILL v
SCOTTSDALE BANGKOK A BANGKOK B SCRAPSGATE LANESTER SAINT-ANDRE DE CUBZAC MATAGAMI,OLGA

FIG.12. Properties and geometry of the Olga A test embankment at failure. failure of a test embankment at St. Alban varied from 0.85 to 1.2, depending on the shear strength assumptions made for the crust. In the present study, both the plate loading tests and the large in situ shear box tests yielded an undrained shear strength in the crust of the order of 20 kPa. This value is confirmed by triaxial compression and extension tests. It has been concluded on this basis that the undrained shear strength in the crust that can be mobilized under initial itz situ stress conditions is much lower than the values measured by the field vane. It was not the purpose of this paper to explain why the field vane overestimates the undrained shear strength in the crust. Considering, however, the large degree of dilatancy observed in triaxial tests on the crustal material, which results in a shear strength that continues to increase with deformation, one might conclude that the large strengths measured by the field vane may arise as a result of the very large shear strains imposed on the soil. The fact that the available undrained shear strength in the crust is equal to the field vane strength measured in the intact clay immediately below the crust cannot be fully explained at the moment and may be coincidental. The confinement effect under the central portion of the embankment requires further study. Bjerrum (1972) proposed an empirical relation based on the plasticity index for correcting the factor of safety calculated from data obtained using the field vane (Fig. 13). The proposed relation was derived from observations of embankments built in various parts of the world on soft clay that had all failed at calculated factors of safety ranging from 0.85 to 1.65. In most of the case histories studied by Bjerrum, the surficial weathered crust did not have a significant effect on stability. When applying Bjerrum's empirical correction to stability analyses for embankments built on clay deposits with a relatively thick weathered crust, the present study concludes that a correct evaluation of the undrained shear strength in the crust should first be made. Using the field vane measurements from the crust as well as the intact clay, a factor of safety of 1.62 was obtained for the failed Olga A test embankment. This is much higher than the predicted factor of safety from the Bjerrum relation (1972), which indicates a factor of safety at failure of 1.15 for a
8 PORNIC 9 NEW LISKEARD 1 0 KING'S LYNN I I PALAVAS 12 NARBONNE 1 3 PORTSMOUTH N.H. 14 FAIR HAVEN

0.8

20

40

60 80 100 PLASTICITY INDEX

120

(AFTER BJERRUM(1972))

FIG.13. Empirical field vane correction factor derived from embankment failure (Bjerrum 1972). plasticity index of 40 (Fig. 13). When the undrained shear strength in the crust is evaluated as proposed in this paper, the calculated factor of safety is reduced to 1.10 and is in good agreement with the Bjerrum empirical relation. The reanalysis of the failure of the Olga A test embankment indicates that, if the undrained shear strength in the weathered crust is correctly evaluated, the vane tests and the Bjerrum correction lead to a correct estimation of the stability, without the need of either a modified plasticity index or of a further reduction of the shear strength to account for progressive failure.

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CAN. GEOTECH. I. VOL. 24, 1987

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Conclusions The comparison of the field vane profile with the undrained shear strength evaluated in the field by plate loading and large shear box tests and in the laboratory by triaxial compression and extension triaxial tests, in addition to the reanalysis of the failure of a test embankment, has permitted certain conclusions and recommendations concerning the available shear strength in the weathered crust. The study, however, has limited scope in that only one site located in lacustrine clay in northwest Quebec has been investigated. 1. As generally perceived by soil engineers, the field vane grossly overestimates the undrained shear strength in the surficial weathered crust for embankment stability purpose. 2. In the weathered crust, the field vane measurement should be used mainly to define the thickness of the weathered crust rather than to determine the actual undrained shear strength. 3. At in situ stresses, the available undrained shear strength in the crust is about equal to the field vane strength measured in the intact clay immediately below the crust for the site investigated. 4. In the central portion of the foundation, the embankment confinement should result in an increase of undrained shear strength during construction. In the present study, the undrained shear strength has been made equal to one-quarter of the weight of the embankment and linearly decreases to the intact clay vane strength. 5 . The crustal material appeared to be highly dilatant in triaxial compression whereas the intact clay was contractive. The dilatancy is probably responsible for the overestimation of the undrained shear strength in the crust by the field vane. Acknowledgements The study presented in this paper was supported by the SocittC d'Cnergie de la baie James. The field work was carried

out jointly by the SociCtC d7Cnergie de la baie James and by UniversitC de Sherbrooke personnel. The laboratory testing program was executed at the UniversitC de Sherbrooke. The study was carried out under the general guidance of a SociCtC d'Cnergie de la baie James experts committee task force composed of 0. Dascal, (Hydro-QuCbec), C. C. Ladd (M.I.T.), K. T. Law (National Research Council of Canada), G. Lefebvre (UniversitC de Sherbrooke), R. PichC, J. G. LavallCe, and J. J. Par6 (SociCtC d'Cnergie de la baie James), G. Mesri (University of Illinois), and F. Tavenas (UniversitC Laval).
BIERRUM, L. 1972. Embankment on soft ground, state of the art report. Proceedings, ASCE Specialty Conference on Performance of Earth and Earth Supported Structures. Purdue University, Lafeayette, IN, Vol. 2, pp. 1-54. DASCAL, O., TOURNIER, J. P., TAVCNAS, F., and LA ROCIIELLE, P. 1972. Failure of test embankment on sensitive clay. Proceedings, ASCE Specialty Conference on Performance of Earth and Earth supported structures. Purdue University, Lafayette, IN, Vol. I, pp. 129- 158. GRAHAM, J . 1979. Embankment stability on anisotropic soft clays. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 16, pp. 295-308. LADD, C. C., Foorr, R., ISHIIIAIZA, K., SCHLOSSER, F., and Pou~os, H. G. 1977. Stress-deformation and strength characteristics. State of the art report, Proceedings, 9th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 2, pp. 421 -494. LA ROCHELLE, P., TRAK, B., TAVENAS, F., and Roy, M. 1974. Failure of a test embankment on a sensitive Champlain clay deposit. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 11, pp. 142- 164. LEFEBVRE, G., LEFEBVRE, L. M., and ROSENBERG, P. 1974. Behavior of a cemented plastic clay as an embankment foundation. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 11, pp. 46-58.