Stability Analysis of Reinforced Embankments in New Orleans

摘要

The stability of geotextile reinforced levees constructed on soft foundations was investigated for the New OrleansrnHurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Limit equilibrium analyses performed to evaluate preliminaryrndesign sections of levee raises indicated that potential failure mechanisms during hurricane storm surges may extendrnaround the reinforcement on the flood side. The critical failure surface defining these failure mechanisms sometimesrncontains non-classic concave and convex portions. Numerical analyses were performed to determine if these failurernmechanisms (non-classic shaped surfaces) are kinematically admissible. The numerical analysis includes separaterninterfaces to allow slip above and below the geotextile. Full scale pullout tests are referenced to assign interfacernproperties. Results from the numerical analysis validate the non-classic failure surface shapes found in the limitrnequilibrium analyses. Design requirements resulting from these non-classic shaped failure surfaces are now beingrnconsidered for the design of geotextile reinforced levees.rnThis paper presents results of full scale pullout load tests and a discussion of the non-classic shape of the failurernsurface during loading for geotextile reinforced levees. Limit equilibrium analyses are compared to numerical modelrnresults at two levee alternative design sections.