Applying Empirical Methods to Assess the Internal Stability of Embankment Dam Cores of Glacial Till

Abstract

This paper presents a database of glacial till gradations that are compiled from laboratory internal stability tests from the literature and from core soils of existing dams, some of which have experienced internal erosion. The potential internal instability of these gradations is assessed using empirical methods. Two approaches of evaluation are used: the Kenney-Lau method, which analyzes the shape of the gradation curve; and the Burenkova method, which uses factors of uniformity of the slope of the gradation. Although they include some uncertainties in terms of soils with fines, these methods, which are primarily developed from laboratory studies of sand and gravels, are used in engineering practice to evaluate widely graded soils that include fines, such as glacial tills. This study evaluates the glacial till gradations of the database using these approaches and discusses their applicability and relative predictive success. This study indicates that both the Kenney-Lau method and the Burenkova method have merit, but a closer analysis indicates that the Kenney-Lau approach has relatively better predictive ability based on the glacial till gradations analyzed in this study.