ABSTRACT
In 1999, the Chelungpu fault in central Taiwan triggered the deadly 921 Chi-chi earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale. However, because of specific technical influences, the project reported herein has to pass through the Chelungpu active fault through a high-fill embankment. Due to the fault-induced movement bound to produce severe differential deformation and surface rupture, the structure must be earthquake-resistant to ensure its safety. Considering the particular requirements of this section, after exploring several probable solutions, the designers finally determined to apply geosynthetics reinforced soil structure (GRS) to build the reinforced foundation and the reinforced embankment to restrain the differential movement caused by active faults to the greatest extent. The adjacent slopes have also been stabilized carefully. The analysis results show that the safety factors of the GRS embankment and its adjacent slopes all meet the requirements of safety and service functions.
