Degradation of flood embankments – Results of observation of the destruction mechanism and comparison with a numerical model

Abstract

AbstractThe paper presents the results of model tests conducted for a flood embankment under varying conditions of saturation. Test embankments were formed from the natural sea sand. The test apparatus consisted of the box with internal dimensions 200 × 100 × 4.5 cm, and thus ensured the implementation of the plane strain state. In most tests during watering air entrapment was observed, leading to formation of open soil discontinuities, called macropores (their dimensions many times exceeded the grain size of the soil skeleton). Analysis of images from a number of tests allowed to create a simplified model of the evolution of a macropore. The numerical model has been based on the finite element method using the PLAXIS 2D software. A comparison has been made between the observation of the phenomena occurring in the physical model and the results of the simulation of the phenomena in the numerical model. A correlation has been proven between the results acquired in reality and the results derived from the numerical model.