Performance of an instrumented embankment constructed with lime-treated silty clay during four-years in the Northeast of France

International audienceThe soil-atmosphere interaction is investigated in a densely monitored large-scale embankment constructed with compacted lime treated soils in the Northeast of France. The field instrumentation covered spatial and temporal changes of the soil suction and moisture at predefined locations within the embankment, as well as meteorological data. This paper focuses on the field performance of a compacted lime-treated silty clay in the embankment system subjected to the natural variations of the environmental conditions, including temperature changes and wetting-drying cycles, in a continental climate. The used sensors provide continuous soil moisture measurements in good agreement with the soil suction measurements over a four-year monitoring period for the investigated embankment. Soil suction and corresponding soil moisture variations follow consistently a systematic annual and seasonal fluctuation at different depths. Monitoring and evaluation of the investigated embankment indicate stability of the lime-treated silty clay in relation to the weather conditions. As expected, maximum changes in suction occur at the interface between soil and atmosphere, near the ground surface. Even at the location of −0.75 m from the soil-slope face the soil-atmosphere interaction is noticeable in terms of daily soil suction and moisture measurements