Assessing the Settlement and Deformation of Pile-Supported Embankments Undergoing Groundwater-Level Fluctuations: An Experimental and Simulation Study

The intensification of extreme weather phenomena, ranging from torrential downpours to protracted dry spells, which trigger fluctuations at the groundwater level, poses a grave threat to the stability of embankments, giving rise to an array of concerns including cracking and differential settlement. Consequently, it is crucial to embark on research targeted at uncovering the settlement and deformation behaviors of pile-supported embankments amidst changes in water levels. In tackling this dilemma, a series of direct shear tests were carried out across a range of wet–dry cyclic conditions. The results confirmed that the occurrence of wet–dry cycles significantly impacted the resilience of silty clay. Additionally, it was observed that the erosion of cohesion and the angle of internal friction initially diminished sharply, subsequently leveling off, with the first wet–dry cycle exerting the most substantial influence on soil strength. Employing a holistic pile-supported embankment model, simulations revealed that variations in the groundwater level, fluctuations therein, varying descent rates, and periodic shifts in the groundwater level could all prompt alterations in soil settlement between embankment piles and could augment the peak tensile stress applied to geogrids. In summary, the orthogonal experimental method was utilized, indicating that, in terms of impacting embankment settlement under periodic water-level changes, the factors ranked in descending order were the following: pile spacing, pile length, embankment height, and the height of the groundwater table.

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