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Case Study: Characterization of a Thick Sensitive Clay Deposit in the St. Lawrence River Valley, Slope Stability Analysis and Preliminary Assessment of Permanent Deformations

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Landslides in Sensitive Clays

Part of the book series: Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research ((NTHR,volume 46))

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Abstract

This case study presents the results of geotechnical investigations and desktop studies carried out on a site characterized by the presence of a 55 m thick sensitive Champlain sea clay deposit, in the Province of Quebec (Canada). The main objective was to determine an iron ore stockpile configuration that meets the design factor of safety (FoS). The site is located in the St. Lawrence River lowlands. It is adjacent to the river and extends 200 m south of the shore line. For decades, the site has been subjected to temporary loadings which induced vertical settlement and small lateral deformations towards the River. This paper presents the inferred site stratigraphy, including geotechnical properties of the units encountered, presents the results of a 1D wave propagation analysis, stability analyses and preliminary deformation assessment with regard to site conditions. Field works performed involved seismic piezocone penetration tests (SCPTu) with the recording of pore water pressure, and geotechnical boreholes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the site owner and their contribution and for accepting the publication of this case study and Prof. Vikas Thakur for his kind review of the paper.

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Correspondence to M. Limoges .

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Limoges, M., Demers Bonin, M., Pépin, N., Lemieux, M. (2017). Case Study: Characterization of a Thick Sensitive Clay Deposit in the St. Lawrence River Valley, Slope Stability Analysis and Preliminary Assessment of Permanent Deformations. In: Thakur, V., L'Heureux, JS., Locat, A. (eds) Landslides in Sensitive Clays. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 46. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56487-6_34

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