ABSTRACT
The settlement pattern of an embankment may not always be the typical one in which the maximum settlement occurs at the center. Other types of patterns may be developed with changes of embankment width or surcharge arrangements, which will require special settlement calculation methods and engineering measures. Four possible settlement patterns are one-dimensional, sagged, typical, and transitional. In this paper, a simplified procedure is put forward to calculate the ground settlement under embankments considering different settlement patterns. The total settlement consists of a one-dimensional component and a shear-induced component. The shear-induced component can be calculated based on balance of volume changes in the compressible soil below the embankment. Four case studies are carried out to compare the predicted settlement patterns and magnitudes with those measured from either field studies or centrifuge model tests.
