The Failure of Road Embankment Along the Canal During Driven Piles Construction in Thickness of Soft Sensitive Clay

Abstract

The pile-retaining wall, which was reinforced concrete piles or driven piles combined with concrete retaining wall, was designed and constructed to increase the stability of the road along the canal at the Nonthaburi rural road no. 5036. During 18-m driven piles construction, the failure of driven piles occurred. The resistivity survey and screw driving sounding test were used to investigate the thickness of soft clay layers and unexpected hard soil layers at the failure area. The field vane shear test was used to investigate the sensitivity of the soft clay layer. Moreover, the finite element model was analyzed to confirm the failure behavior of the driven pile during construction. As a result, it was found that the subsoil at the failure area was a very soft clay layer to medium stiff clay layer (from 2 m to 10 m depth below the ground surface) with sensitive values, while stiff clay was found from 10 m depth below the ground surface. Due to the 18-m driven pile, the tip of the driven pile was installed at the hard soil layer, which led to disturbance above the soft sensitive clay layer to reduce the strength of soft clay and affect to the displacement of the driven pile during construction. This result was in accordance with the analysis results by the finite element software.