Abstract

Use of dispersive clays in earthfill dams causes serious problems that may be difficult to solve later unless this type of soil is adequately defined and properly used. The problems may occur suddenly and cause catastrophic failures. In many countries, such problems have resulted in dam incidents or failures attributed to dispersive soils. This paper briefly presents tests to determine the dispersibility properties of soils and discusses their limitations as shown by the comparative study on crumb and pinhole tests. The study was based on test results of 352 samples belonging to 29 different projects currently under planning and design stages in Turkey. As a result of this study, it can be stated that the results of pinhole tests mainly confirm those of crumb tests, while some index tests do not provide a more reliable way to identify dispersive soils.

Issue Section:
Technical Notes
Keywords:
crumb test, dispersive soil, earthfill dam, flow rate, pinhole test

References

1.
Acciardi
,
R. G.
,
1985
, “
Pinhole Test Equipment Design and Test Result Evaluation
,” REC-ERC-85-3,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
,
Denver
.
2.
Arulanandan
,
K.
,
Loganathan
,
P.
, and
Krone
,
R.
,
1975
, “
Pore and Eroding Fluid Influences on Surface Erosion of Soil
,”
ASCE Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division
, Vol.
101
, No.
GT1
, pp.
51
-
56
.
3.
Arulanandan
,
K.
,
Loganathan
,
P.
, and
Krone
,
P.
,
1976
,
Closure to “Pore and Eroding Fluid Influences on Surface Erosion of Soil
,”
ASCE Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division
, Vol.
103
, No.
8
, pp.
883
-
884
.
4.
Arulanandan
,
K.
 and
Perry
,
E. B.
,
1983
, “
Erosion in Relation to Filter Design Criteria in Earth Dams
,”
ASCE Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division
, Vol.
109
, No.
5
, pp.
682
-
698
.
Google Scholar
Crossref
Search ADS
 
5.
ASTM Standard Method for Laboratory Compaction Characteristics of Soil Using Standard Effort (D 698-91)
,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards
, Vol.
04.08
,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
West Conshohocken, PA
,
1994
.
6.
ASTM Standard Method for Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit, and Plasticity Index of Soils (D 4318-93)
,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards
, Vol.
04.08
,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
West Conshohocken, PA
,
1994
.
7.
ASTM Standard Method for Identification and Classification of Dispersive Clay Soils by the Pinhole Test (D 4647-93)
,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards
, Vol.
04.08
,
American Society for Testing and Materials
,
West Conshohocken, PA
,
1994
.
8.
Cedergren
,
H. R.
,
1977
, “
Seepage, Drainage and Flow Nets
” 2nd ed.,
John and Sons Inc.
,
New York, NY
.
9.
Craft
,
D.
,
1986
, “
The Application of Multivariate Statistics Saturation Extraction Data to Identify Dispersive Clay Soils
,”
Geotechnical Testing Journal
 0149-6115, GTJODJ, Vol.
9
, No.
1
, pp.
34
-
37
.
10.
Indraratna
,
B.
,
1991
, “
Erosion of Dispersive Soils in Northeast Thailand (Photographic Feature)
,”
Geotechnical Engineering
, Vol.
22
, pp.
1
-
3
.
11.
Knodel
,
P. C.
,
1991
, “
Characteristics and Problems of Dispersive Clay Soils
,” R-91-09,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
,
Denver
.
12.
Mitchell
,
J. K.
,
1976
, “
Fundamentals of Soil Behaviour
,”
John Wiley and Sons Inc.
,
New York, NY
.
13.
Resendiz
,
D.
,
1977
, “
Relevance of Atterberg Limits in Evaluating Piping and Breaching Potential
,”
Dispersive Clays, Related Piping and Erosion in Geotechnical Projects
, ASTM STP 623, pp.
341
-
353
.
14.
Sherard
,
J. L.
,
Dunnigan
,
L.
, and
Decker
,
R. S.
,
1976
, “
Identification and Nature of Dispersive Soils
,”
ASCE Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division
, Vol.
102
, No.
GT4
, pp.
287
-
301
.
15.
Sherard
,
J. L.
 and
Decker
,
R. S.
,
1977
, “
Evaluation of Symposium on Dispersive Clays
,”
Dispersive Clays, Related Piping, and Erosion in Geotechnical Projects
, ASTM STP 623, pp.
467
-
479
.
16.
Tosun
,
H.
,
1993
, “
Dispersive Clays and Their Importance for Earthfill Dams
,”
Bulletin of State Hydraulic Works
, Vol.
80
, pp.
51
-
60
(in Turkish).
17.
Tosun
,
H.
,
1994
, “
Importance of Dispersive Soils for Earthfill Dams and DSI Application
,”
Proceedings
,
Fifth National Congress on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
, pp.
98
-
110
(in Turkish).
18.
TS 1900,
1987
, “
Soil Tests in Civil Engineering
,”
Turkish Standard Institute
,
Ankara
(in Turkish).
19.
Tuncer
,
E. R.
,
1985
, “
Internal Erosion in Earthfill Dams
,”
Proceedings
,
Seminar on Earthfill Dam Problems Related with Soil Mechanics
,”
State Hydraulic Works
,
Adana
, pp.
1
-
25
(in Turkish).
20.
Turfan
,
M.
,
Tosun
,
H.
, and
Arslan
,
A.
,
1993
, “
Problems of Dispersive Soils for Earthfill Dams and Engineering Measures
,”
Proceedings
,
Symposium on the Problems of Earthfill Dams Related with Soil Mechanics
, pp.
147
-
161
(in Turkish).
21.
USBR
,
1990
, “
Earth Manual
,” Part 2, 3rd ed.,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
,
Denver
.
22.
USBR Standard Method for Determining Dispersibility of Clayey Soils by the Crumb Test Method (USBR 5400-89)
,
Earth Manual
, Part 2,
1991
.
This content is only available via PDF.
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in part, in any printed, mechanical, electronic, film, or other distribution and storage media, without the written consent of ASTM International.
You do not currently have access to this content.