Remarks on the stability of temporary cuts
A re-analysis of the observations and data related to the stability of excavations in clays gives a new insight into the problem. It is shown that for clays with a liquidity index greater than 0.4, the short-term stability can be estimated on the basis of the undrained shear strength without applying any correction factor; it is also shown that the long-term stability is lower than the short-term stability by an amount that depends on the overconsolidation ratio of the clay. Finally, experience proving that pore-pressure equilibration is highly variable and difficult to predict, it is recommended to systematically instrument excavations with piezometers. Key words: clay, short-term stability, long-term stability, excavations, pore pressures, overconsolidation ratio.