In a building or infrastructure project, geotechnical design requires the stress changes induced by the proposed structure to be evaluated together with the response of the soil or rock mass. The ground profile, groundwater conditions, foundation and excavation geometry, adjacent…
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam (geofoam blocks) has low water absorption due to its closed-cell structure. Considering that approximately 98% of the volume of expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam consists of air, geofoam blocks are an extremely lightweight geotechnical fill material. The…
As in highway embankment construction, geofoam blocks can also be used for railway embankments constructed over soils with low bearing capacity (Figure 1). Although geofoam block technology has been a proven and mature geotechnology for highway embankment construction since 1972,…
Culverts are crossings constructed through highway and railway embankments to accommodate pedestrian or vehicle passage or to convey surface water in the direction of natural drainage. Compared with buried pipelines, culverts are generally shorter in length and may be constructed…
The construction of bridge approach embankments over soft clay deposits requires specialized geotechnical solutions, similar to highway embankment construction. Traditionally, bridges are founded on piles in order to prevent total settlements and ensure stability. In such cases, if no conventional…