Timber pile-supported road embankment : Numerical and analytical analysis of field monitoring project E4 Råneå

Abstract: The previous E4 Råneå road embankment was prone to flooding. Risk of flooding in combination with settlements of the road due to the weak underlying sulphide soil was problematic. The Swedish Transportation Administration improved the length section E4 Råneå by rebuilding the road using the method light embankment piling. The centre-to-centre pile distance was chosen to 1.1 m and embankment height 1.8 m. The embankment is reinforced with geosynthetic reinforcements resting on timber piles, which were installed on till stratum. Two geosynthetics were installed, with their strength properties in opposite direction from each other. Their purpose was to stiffen the soil and reduce loading on the weak sulphide subsoil. Field monitoring equipment were placed in the road to measure the behavior before and after consolidation. To validify the results, used instruments in this thesis concerns: pressure cells, extensometers, piezometers and a hydrostatic profile gauge. The Swedish Transport administration wants to evaluate if an increase in piling distance is possible. From the conventional practice of maximum 1.2 m to 1.4 m. It is also interesting if the increased pile distance holds for a taller embankment of 2.5 m. Answering this would aid in increasing the cost-effectiveness of light embankment piling. The performed investigation has been done in the finite element analysis program Plaxis 3D 2021 by simulating half of an embankment with supplementary load model.  To capture field behavior, PLAXIS SoilTest has been used to calibrate the compressive material parameters obtained in oedometer testing. The geosynthetics have been modeled with regards to creep and their stiffness increase on surrounding soil due to interlocking of soil particles. Guaranteeing the reliability of the numerical analysis was made by a comparison of the base model to field monitoring equipment before conducting the parametric study. The base numerical model was reliable in capturing the result of field monitoring equipment. Deviations in pile loads was observed beneath the light trafficked road lane. Conducting the parametric study, the results indicated an increase in pile head loading, total settlements, differential settlements, and deformations in the geosynthetic reinforcement when pile distance and embankment height increased. With a taller embankment of 2.5 m and increased pile distance of 1.4 m numerical simulated pile head loads were in sizes of the design pile strength. Tensile stress in the geosynthetic reinforcement was below long-term design strength. The ratio pile efficacy, that is how effective the structure is at reducing sub soil load has been evaluated in the parametric study at three unit cells. A logarithmic growth is observed when reducing the pile distance at the middle of the road with consistent behavior between embankment height. When studying cells beneath the heavy trafficked lane a linear relationship could be seen instead. This study suggests it is possible to perform the increase in pile distance of 1.4 m for the current embankment height 1.8 m, but needs to be investigated further for the 2.5 m high embankment.