Settlement of Soil/Rock Fills 2

[NBRY1]

I am curious how others are estimating settlement of very high soil/rock fills that are not conducive to DMT/PMT or similar drilling methods.
My best guess is that a plate load test, if could be made applicable based on rock size, performed on shallow lifts may be the only way to do this?

 

[EireChch]

What are you trying to estimate?

Settlement of each fill layer due to the placement of the fill layer above. You do a plate bearing test to work out the modulus of the fill layer and then calculate the settlement using pressure from new fill layer times your modulus?

The issue is see is that your modulus of the fill layer is constantly stiffening. As you place more fill it settles and stiffens.

A rule of thumb is about as accurate as your assessment I think, for granular fill the rule of thumb is settlement equals 1% of the fill height. Thats what I have used.

 

[BigH]

Check out Hunter and Fell (2003)

https://vm.civeng.unsw.edu.au/uniciv/R-416.pdf

and Soydemir & and Kjaernsli’s works (1979.

Also:

https://www.academia.edu/40641053/POST_CONSTRUCTION_DEFORMATION_OF_ROCKFILL_DAMS

https://www.academia.edu/29661712/Settlement_by_Wetting_of_the_Upstream_Rockfills_of_Large_Dams

https://www.academia.edu/9011692/Si...lement_in_rockfill_material_due_to_saturation

https://www.academia.edu/22413449/E...ts_of_an_Embankment_Dam_Under_Static_Loadings

 

[NBRY1]

Thanks BigH