Geotechnical hazard analysis of river embankment of Bangladesh and its protectability

Abstract

Bangladesh has a long artificial river embankment, developed mainly for the protection of its inhabitants and resources from disastrous flash floods, tidal water, cyclone surges, river currents and others. This process increases erosion of embankments and water turbidity which bring the concerned sediments from alluvial land to the inland sides and river bed that further increase vertical soil accommodation and decrease the water depth. In this research geotechnical hazard analysis has been conducted based on the statistical riverine data and flood occurrence information, obtained from various recognized institutions and secondary literatures and scientific investigation of soil structural failures from field survey. The soil characteristics and existing conditions of the embankments of the three big rivers of Bangladesh - the Ganges, the Meghna, and the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, have been investigated. The research also includes the reasons behind the failure of different embankments that were happened in last decades. A design methodology has been proposed to make these embankments more durable and to improve the strength using a pre-designed methodological case study.