Engineering geology and earthwork problem associated with highway construction in soft soil at Sg. Rasau, Dengkil, Selangor

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the earthwork problem encountered in the construction of an embankment for the highway project in alluvium deposits near Sg. Rasau, Dengkil, Selangor. The alluvium deposits mainly consist of clay and silty clay composition containing considerable amounts of organic material and decayed wood (peat and organic soils). The characteristics and engineering properties of this soft soil are presented with respect to its earthworks and geotechnical performance. Soil information are used to illustrate the construction and the potential performance problems encountered. The engineering properties have shown that this soft soil was not suitable for the construction and the introduction of another material was suggested to improve the highway performance. The studies showed that the highway has improved by applying excavations of unsuitable material, sand replacement, pile supported embankment method and surface soil reinforcement m ethod.