Numerical Modeling for Remedial Measures of Shallow Slope Failure Using Recycled Plastic Pins

Abstract

Highway embankment in North Texas is constructed mainly on expansive clays. However, due to wetting and drying cycles over years, clayey soil in embankments are expected to change their engineering characteristics. Therefore, sloughing and shallow slope failures are predominant in North Texas area and posses a significant maintenance problem for Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Recycled Plastic Pins (RPP) had been utilized in other states (Missouri, Iowa) as a cost effective solution for slope stabilization compared to conventional slope stabilization methods. The objective of this paper is to investigate the possibility of utilizing RPP for slope stabilization in Texas. The slope failure mechanism and stabilization of slope using RPP will be modeled and presented here. The finite element program PLAXIS was used for the modeling. Based on the numerical modeling, the factor of safety without RPP is 1.01. For different RPP spacing, the factor of safety of the modeled slope varies between 1.4 and 1.8. The preliminary results indicate that recycled plastic pins can be utilized for shallow slope failure to increase the stability of soil slope.