Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London clay
Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London clay
In temperate European climates, the season of peak water demand by vegetation (summer) is out of phase with the season of greatest rainfall (winter). This results in seasonal fluctuations in soil water content and, in clay soils, associated problems of shrinking and swelling that can in turn contribute to strain-softening and progressive slope failure. This paper presents field measurements of seasonal moisture content and pore water pressure changes within the surface drying zone of a cut slope in the London Clay at Newbury, Berkshire, UK. A climate station was installed at the site to measure the parameters needed to determine specific plant evapotranspiration. This information was used to carry out a water balance calculation to estimate the year-round soil moisture deficit caused by the vegetation. The calculated soil moisture deficit matches reasonably closely the field measurements of soil drying. The field measurements of seasonal changes in pore water pressure and suction are linked quantitatively to the measured changes in water content using the soil water characteristic curve for the London Clay. The suctions generated by the light vegetation cover at Newbury were found not to persist into the winter and early spring.
slopes, monitoring, suction, pore pressures, clays, field instrumentation
523-537
Smethurst, J.A.
8f30880b-af07-4cc5-a0fe-a73f3dc30ab5
Clarke, D.
9746f367-1df2-4e0e-8d71-5ecfc9ddd000
Powrie, W.
600c3f02-00f8-4486-ae4b-b4fc8ec77c3c
1 October 2006
Smethurst, J.A.
8f30880b-af07-4cc5-a0fe-a73f3dc30ab5
Clarke, D.
9746f367-1df2-4e0e-8d71-5ecfc9ddd000
Powrie, W.
600c3f02-00f8-4486-ae4b-b4fc8ec77c3c
Smethurst, J.A., Clarke, D. and Powrie, W.
(2006)
Seasonal changes in pore water pressure in a grass covered cut slope in London clay.
Géotechnique, 56 (8), .
(doi:10.1680/geot.2006.56.8.523).
Abstract
In temperate European climates, the season of peak water demand by vegetation (summer) is out of phase with the season of greatest rainfall (winter). This results in seasonal fluctuations in soil water content and, in clay soils, associated problems of shrinking and swelling that can in turn contribute to strain-softening and progressive slope failure. This paper presents field measurements of seasonal moisture content and pore water pressure changes within the surface drying zone of a cut slope in the London Clay at Newbury, Berkshire, UK. A climate station was installed at the site to measure the parameters needed to determine specific plant evapotranspiration. This information was used to carry out a water balance calculation to estimate the year-round soil moisture deficit caused by the vegetation. The calculated soil moisture deficit matches reasonably closely the field measurements of soil drying. The field measurements of seasonal changes in pore water pressure and suction are linked quantitatively to the measured changes in water content using the soil water characteristic curve for the London Clay. The suctions generated by the light vegetation cover at Newbury were found not to persist into the winter and early spring.
Text
Smethurst Clarke Powrie (2006) Newbury Geotechnique.pdf
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 18 July 2006
Published date: 1 October 2006
Keywords:
slopes, monitoring, suction, pore pressures, clays, field instrumentation
Organisations:
Infrastructure Group, Civil Engineering & the Environment
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 39526
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/39526
ISSN: 0016-8505
PURE UUID: 2d311c05-1359-4c67-b1a1-95aebba400d1
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 28 Jun 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:47
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