BERM DITCH UTILIZING GEOSYNTHETIC DRAINAGE MATERIAL: IMPROVEMENT OF WORKABILITY AND PERMEABILITY, AND STRENGTHENING OF FROST HEAVE RESISTANCE

Abstract

The U-shaped ditch installed on a cut slope in a cold district can be damaged by the phenomenon of frost heaving. The authors have developed a berm ditch highly resistant to frost heaving by combining very strong and highly flexible geosynthetic drainage material and recycled aggregate. This study attempted, with an aim of improving workability, to fabricate a berm ditch using drainage material alone. In addition, the permeability was improved to the same level as the conventional U-shaped ditch by changing the cross-sectional shape. All berm ditches made under this study demonstrated that the heaving caused by the adfreezing and frost heaving phenomenon could be prevented.