Soil Compaction and the Stability of Levees of Aquaculture Ponds

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of variations in soil compaction on the stability of the slope embankments of fish farms used in aquaculture. Computational modeling was performed using the RocScience Slide 6.0 program, simulating filling scenarios, fast lowering and stationary regimes for the full operation of the fish farms. The data used in these simulations were obtained from soil characterization tests in the laboratory. The geometry of the levees, the inclination of the slopes and the crest width and height, also necessary for modeling, were obtained from field data and technical projects. The modeling generated a safety factor (SF) for the upstream and downstream slopes of the levees, considering different upstream slopes, for three types of levees (L1, L2 and L3). The results have shown that the variation in soil compaction, regardless of the upstream inclination of the slopes, maintains the stability of the levee slopes, as it generated safety factors above the acceptable minimum (≥ 1.5). Decreasing the speed of lowering the water column in the fish farm does not compromise the stability of the embankments of the levees. The construction of superficial pond levees for aquaculture can be performed at points below the optimum water contents for compaction since the stabilization of these structures showed SF values above the minimum required.