Observation and Design: Medmerry Realignment Scheme

Candidate Number: 36882 | January 2014

Introduction

The Medmerry Relignment Scheme protects the village of Selsey, West Sussex from coastal ooding. It is part of a managed coastal retreat strategy by the Environment Agency [2013] consisting of a 7km embankment set-back and joining the current coastline as shown in Figure 1. The earth embankment is made from ll won from within the newly created inter-tidal area.

Figure 1: Medmerry embankment scheme layout Due to concern about excess pore pressure generation during embankment construction the observational method was used. Outlined by Peck [1969], it allowed a more economically construction method to be used at key points along the embankment. There are eight ingredients to the method which are loosly followed in this report.

Site exploration

The site is underlain by the Eocene Bracklesham Formation sand beds with esturine alluvium above and a dessicated crust. Boreholes on the site enabled the geological section shown in Figure 2 to be drawn.

Figure 2: Site geology section In-situ and laboratory testing gave strength, consolidation and compressibility parameters of the various materials for use in design. [Higuchi et al., 2013]. Studies at Avonmouth for the M5 motorway however highlight the dierence in predicted consolidation found from eld and laboratory measurements, Murray [1971].

Probable design

Figure 3: Embankment cross section design at Chainage 6700 The embankment was designed with 1:10 slopes upstream to minimise the impact of tidal forces and 1:3 slopes downstream to reduce its footprint (Figure 3). The ll was to be placed atop the underlying alluvium with minimal foundation preparation. The topsoil was to be removed and a shallow 1m cuto trench dug, lled and compacted along the seaward toe of the core.

Unfavorable conditions

Due to the low permeability of the underlying alluvium there was a concern that excess pore pressures would be generated which might lead to bearing capacity failure of the foundation. The geology beneath the embankment varies along its length. The chainages of most concern were identied as 170m and 6700m near where current streams cross the embankment. In these locations the

ground level lowest so the embankment height was at its highest in order to maintain the crest level. Also the soft alluvial clay was at its thickest and the groundwater near the surface. The soft alluvium was assumed to (slowly) consolidate and gain in strength after completion so the critical time was during construction when pore pressures were at their peak with a surcharge of working plant.

Monitoring plan

Due to uncertainties in the consolidation of the ll and the generation of excess pore pressures it was decided that the observational method would be used for construction. This was particularly appropriate as the length of the embankment meant that observations of sections at a more advanced construction stage could feedback into the design of sections yet-to-be-constructed. A monitoring scheme was developed for construction. Pore pressures Earlier in the construction period the embankment was raised in stages with material laid in 200mm layers. The stage thickness was dened by a depth that could achieve greater than 60% excess pore pressure dissapation over the set eight week rest period between stages. The initial response in pore-pressure at each stage was compared to predictions based on [Das, 1983]. These comparisions allowed the stage thickness to be optimised during construction and raising stopped if predicted levels were exceeded. Dissipation during consolidation was modelled using a nite dierence method and monitoring enabled the next layer thickness to be optimised. If predicted limits were exceeded the monitoring could have acted as an early warning system of potential failure. Settlement The tracking of the settlement throughout construction allowed calibration in the prediction of the long-term magnitude of settlement. In comparison to Avonmouth, for the majority of the embankment, the consideration of settlement is in relation to the nal crest level rather than minimising the in-service movements. More accurate long-term settlement prediction meant the the amount of ll required to overll the embankment to sucient height could be more precisely judged so material was not wasted.

Instrumentation

Instrumentation was installed at six critical locations. Vibrating wire-piezometers were installed at three depths in the foundation beneath the crest of the embankment as shown in Figure 4. The changing pore pressures were recorded using a data-logger. Settlement prole tubes were installed through the foundation normal to the embankment to allow settlement readings along a line. They consist of an access tube through which a hydrostatic pressure gauge is passed. The head reading at the gauge tip is measured at intervals using a dierential pressure transducer. Settlement pins were installed at two locations with their movement measured using levels.

Observation and changes to design

Pore pressures were seen to dissipate at varying rates along the embankment and dierent magnitudes of settlement were observed.

Figure 4: Embankment section at Chainage 5600 showing piezometers and settlement prole gauge At chainages 170 and 6700 the underlying alluvial clay was 5m thick [Higuchi et al., 2013]. Figure 5 shows the measured readings at both locations before and after changes to the embankment design and construction sequence in July-August 2012, and then after the end of construction.

(a) Chainage 170

(b) Chainage 6700

Figure 5: Pore pressures during and after construction It can be seen in Figure 5 that pore pressures remained elevated for many months in the rst part of 2012 which slowed construction considerably. This was to a prolonged period of very wet weather that also meant dozers had great diculty traversing the site. In response the stripping of the topsoil was reduced to maintain the ability of the dessicated crust to support the plant. Due to the elevated pore pressures slowing construction an alternative embankment design was used to complete the embankment at a faster rate. The rest period was reduced but the eect of this was mitigated by the reduction in the embankment side slope to 1:5 and rened pore pressure measurement with the installation of more piezometers. Monitored trials of compaction methods also allowed the individual layer thickness to be increased. The trends in settlement suggest that long-term predicted values will not be exceeded.

Commentry

The use of judicious use piezometers was enabled. The problems with wet weather during the early part of construction were clearly challenging. Perhaps however the alternative embankment design could have been adopted earlier as it signicantly increased progress. More preparation of alternative designs in advance could have been made. Another area for exploration is the relationship between layer thickness, rest period duration and use of vertical drains. The set eight week rest period may have been due to the availability of sucent plant and the planned programme of works along the full length of the embankment but vertical drains could have been used more extensively to reduce the observed pore pressuresmore quickly. 4

The justication of the use of settlement prole gauges to monitor the width of the embankment seems thin as the settlement of the crest is the main interest. Especially so as the side-slope was readily changed. The access tubes may also cause more diculty in keeping the sea on the right side of the embankment. More investment in settlement pins or plates instead might have allowed more accurate overlling. A more rened prediction of settlement due to consolidation could perhaps have been used as long-term settlement is likely to be less than predicted. Although this may have required more onerous computation.

References
BM Das. Advanced soil mechanics. Taylor & Francis, 1983. Environment Agency. Medmerry managed realignment scheme. http://www.environment-agency. gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/109062.aspx, 2013. Accessed: 2013-12-22. Toru Higuchi, Tony Bruggemann, Sunday Obeahon, John Gosden, and Alastair Elder. Medmerry realignment scheme: Design and construction of an earth embankment on soft clay foundation. ICE Breakwaters 2013, 2013. RT Murray. Embankments constructed on soft foundationssettlement studies at avonmouth. Report LR419, Transport Road Research Laboratory, 1971. RB Peck. Advantages and limitations of the observational method in applied soil mechanics. Geotechnique, 19(2):171187, 1969. Robert W Sarsby. Environmental geotechnics. Thomas Telford, 2000.