Finite-Element Analysis of the Settlement Behavior Under the Staged Construction of Road Embankment Project

The construction of high embankments on clay soil presents one of the challenges of geotechnical engineering. A high embankment results in a significant increase in vertical stress on the subsoil. This will lead the subsoil to settle due to consolidation process. Constructing high embankments with relatively steep slopes requires the use of a staged construction method. The staged construction method plays a crucial role in addressing this issue, as it enhances the strength of the subsoil layers through consolidation resulting from the incremental load during construction. Finite Element Method (FEM) 2D is used to simulate each construction stage, such as topsoil stripping, retaining wall construction, and layer-by-layer filling the embankment. The use of FEM 2D can simulate the stages of embankment construction by taking into account its influence on excess pore pressure and settlement. Based on the staged construction methods used, the FEM 2D simulation results in a total settlement of 1.8 m and a consolidation settlement of 0.035 m, which were obtained over 71 days. While the consolidation rate must be less than 20 mm per year, in these results, the subsoil does not meet the required criteria. Therefore, during the consolidation process at the end of the construction period, embankments must not be directly loaded but must wait for a minimum of 60 days for the soil to settle due to consolidation processes.