Investigation of Settlements of a Trunk Road Embankment in Hong Kong

A 25 m high fill embankment was constructed as part of a Trunk Road scheme in Hong Kong. In June 1985, large settlements of the order of 250 mm were observed in the embankment. This was followed by a local slippage of surface material from the downstream slope face. To meet the schedule for opening the trunk road in late September, a number of emergency measures costing about HK$1 M (US$0.13 M) were implemented to stabilize the embankment. An investigation was subsequently carried out to assess the cause of the movement and the long term stability of the embankment. This paper summarizes the sequence of events leading to the settlements and outlines the investigation carried out. The proposed hydrocompaction mechanism and the effects of grouting on the embankment are discussed