Abstract

GARCIA, EDWIN  and  UCHIMURA, TARO. STUDY OF FAILURE MECHANISM IN EMBANKMENTS INDUCED BY RAINFALL INFILTRATION BY MONITORING PORE WATER PRESSURES AND WATER CONTENTS. Dyna rev.fac.nac.minas [online]. 2007, vol.74, n.152, pp.125-135. ISSN 0012-7353.

This paper presents experiments using scale models to study the infiltration process on embankments subjected to rainfall infiltration.  Various model embankments were built using a silty sand soil; an irrigation pipe was used to applied artificial rainfall in order to observe the effect of the water infiltration.  Pore water pressure, water content and displacements transducers were installed within the scale models at various locations to monitor the changes in suction caused during cycles of wetting and drying processes.  Pore water pressure histories, water content histories and relations between measurements of pore water pressures and displacements are presented.  This study showed that slope movements are directly related to the soil water content and pore water pressures within the slope, suggesting that slope failure caused by rainfall infiltration could be predicted by monitoring these parameters.

Keywords : Embankment; unsaturated soils; rainfall effect; rainfall infiltration; Terraplén; suelos no saturados; efecto lluvia; infiltración de aguas lluvias.

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