Effectiveness of Soilcrete to Reinforce Earth Levees

Abstract

Soil – cement (soilcrete) columns have high potential to create seepage cut off walls and to enhance slope stability for earth levees against annual floods in the Mekong delta. This paper evaluated the effectiveness of soilcrete walls to reinforce earth levees. The strength and hydraulic conductivity of several typical soil types taken in the Mekong delta such as soft clay, medium soft clay, and medium stiff clay mixing with cement at a content of 300 kg/m³ were determined in the laboratory. Soilcrete walls were designed basing on the tested results in the laboratory to reinforce earth levees in Dong Thap and An Giang provinces in the Mekong delta. The seepage and slope stability of the levees were analyzed using the SEEP/W and SLOPE/W softwares. The results indicate that the soilcrete walls were highly effective on cutting seepage off and increasing stability significantly in the case of rapid drawdown of floodwater. A 0.4-m single row soilcrete wall can reinforce successfully for earth levees. A 0.8-m double row soilcrete wall can reinforce earth levees sustainably.