Application of stability charts and reliability concepts for simplified analysis of a void in soil overlying karst bedrock NCKRI Symposium 2: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst

The karst belt stretching from Alabama to New England is dominated by limestone/dolostone rocks which are observed to weather in-place forming a layer of residual clay soil above a highly weathered rock surface. As part of the natural weathering process, subterranean voids frequently develop in the overburden soil, which can lead to surface subsidence or collapse (sinkholes). Furthermore, construction activities can promote instability, especially where a portion of the soil overburden is removed. A rational method for addressing the potential for void collapse may involve the use of simplified charts to perform probabilistic analysis for likely ranges of void and soil conditions. This paper demonstrates the application of simplified stability charts and reliability concepts for evaluating the collapse potential of voids within the soil overlying the rock surface. -- Authors Open Access - Permission by Publisher See Extended description for more information