Centrifuge shake table tests on damage process and failure mode of embankments with different slope gradient

Abstract

In this study, a series of centrifuge shake table tests were conducted to investigate the damage process and the failure mode of embankments during earthquakes. We also examined the safety limit value of embankments against sliding failure. The results showed that the embankment with a slope of 1:1.5, which is the standard slope gradient in Japanese railways, showed shaking-down settlement without sliding failure even after repeated shaking. On the other hand, embankments with a slope steeper than 1:1.5 showed sliding failure during shaking. In addition, we applied a proposed method for verifying the safety performance of embankments during earthquakes to these experimental results and confirmed that the safety against sliding failure can be evaluated by comparing the shear strain at the toe of the slope with the damage level obtained from the deformation characteristics of the embankment material.