Seepage Behavior of Fiber Reinforced Embankment Fill: A Review

Abstract

The earth structures like river embankments, levees, canal diversion structures, check dams, etc., have an important role in the irrigation and drainage projects. Construction of these earthen embankments with satisfying strength and stability requirements is a major challenge for the geotechnical engineers. One of the main reasons for the failure of the earthen structures is the piping erosion due to the seepage force from the water reservoir in the upstream side. Piping resistance of the embankment fill material is a major parameter that influences the stability of the structure, hence proper treatment is to be given to the fill material to enhance the seepage and piping resistance. The fiber reinforcement is one of the widely accepted methods of ground improvement. There are some studies that are focused on the seepage behavior of embankment made with fiber reinforced soil. The main aim of this paper is to review the possible applications of fiber reinforced soil as fill material for earth embankment which is more susceptible to seepage failures. With reference to the previous studies, a critical comparison is done in this paper to evaluate the relative importance of different parameters on the behavior of fiber reinforced embankment fill.