Evaluation of stability analysis methods of embankments on soft clays

Construction on soft clay deposits is assumed to be significant concern in geotechnical engineering field. Soft clays are characterized by low bearing capacity, high ductility and low permeability, which lead to certain constraints in embankment design. Therefore, to ensure safety of structures on soft grounds, it is necessary to define the capacity that foundation can bear before construction process. In addition, the behavior of structure has to be predicted to avoid failures or other unfavorable circumstances that could take place in the future. A number of prediction methods have been proposed, but the predictions could suffer from a lack of accuracy, resulting in a lack of confidence in practice. In this study, numerical simulation of embankments on soft soils using finite element method (FEM) is performed to evaluate existing methods for predicting performance of embankments on soft clays and to propose the most accurate stability analysis approach among reviewed methods.