Experimental investigations of using deep mixing method to stabilise problematic clays in Ontario

Champlain Sea clay is a sensitive marine clay which can lose more than 90% of its strength when disturbed. Organic silty clay, commonly found in Ontario, has a high compressibility and a low shear strength. In this experimental study, different binders were applied to Champlain Sea clay and organic silty clay to improve its strength properties. The results indicate that cement and slag/cement can significantly improve the strength of these problematic clays. A cement dosage ranging from 150 kg/m3 to 250 kg/m3 can consistently improve the undrained shear strength of Champlain Sea clay and organic silty clay with the maximum strength improvement ratio of 10 and 18 respectively. A slag/cement dosage of 290 kg/m3 with a mass ratio of 3:1 can improve the undrained shear strength of Champlain Sea clay for more than 50 times. Lime was found to be effective in treating organic silty clay as well.

Experimental investigations of using deep mixing method to stabilise problematic clays in Ontario

Champlain Sea clay is a sensitive marine clay which can lose more than 90% of its strength when disturbed. Organic silty clay, commonly found in Ontario, has a high compressibility and a low shear strength. In this experimental study, different binders were applied to Champlain Sea clay and organic silty clay to improve its strength properties. The results indicate that cement and slag/cement can significantly improve the strength of these problematic clays. A cement dosage ranging from 150 kg/m3 to 250 kg/m3 can consistently improve the undrained shear strength of Champlain Sea clay and organic silty clay with the maximum strength improvement ratio of 10 and 18 respectively. A slag/cement dosage of 290 kg/m3 with a mass ratio of 3:1 can improve the undrained shear strength of Champlain Sea clay for more than 50 times. Lime was found to be effective in treating organic silty clay as well.

Stabilisation de la berge rive nord de l'aménagement hydroélectrique La Grande 1

The La Grande 1 (LG-1) hydroelectrical project, part of the La Grande Complex in Northern Quebec, required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north bank of the river. The presence of sensitive marine clay, covered with deltaic sand and silt deposit, and river sand deposit, called for special design features such as downstream bank and upstream bank stabilization berms to avoid the occurrence of potentially disastrous retrogressive slides. This paper describes the geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions of the northern terrace and presents the different construction phases of the riverbank stabilization, with emphasis on the control of groundwater pressures in the lower aquifer by the use of relief wells.Key words: sensitive clay, river bank, dyke, rockfill, relief well, slope stability.

Construction de la paroi au coulis ciment-bentonite sous la digue nord de l'aménagement hydroélectrique La Grande 1

As part of the La Grande complex, in northern Québec, the development of the LG-1 hydroelectric project required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north shore. The presence of a wide sensitive marine clay terrace covered with deltaic and river sand and silt deposits called for several design features, including the construction of a cement-bentonite cutoff through the sand and silt deposits on the terrace. This paper describes the different construction phases of the cement-bentonite cutoff with emphasis on excavation procedure and quality control.Key words: bentonite, cement, construction, cutoff, excavation, slurry trench.

Construction de la digue nord de l'aménagement La Grande

LG-1 hydroelectric project, part of La Grande Complex in northern Quebec, required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north bank. The presence of sensitive marine clay, with deltaic and river sand and silt deposits on top of the clay in the central terrace, called for special design features. These included the construction of a dyke with side berms in a depression to ensure stability and the construction of a cement–bentonite cutoff through the sand and silt deposits of the terrace. This paper describes the different phases of dyke construction with emphasis on foundation treatment and construction techniques. Key words: bentonite, cement, clay, construction, cutoff, dyke, excavation, foundation, slurry, trench.

An earthflow in sensitive Champlain Sea sediments at Lemieux, Ontario, June 20, 1993, and its impact on the South Nation River

A large (est. volume 2.8 × 106 m3) landslide occurred in sensitive Leda clay on the east bank of the South Nation River at Lemieux, Ontario (45.4°N, 75.06°W), on June 20, 1993. The earthflow involved an area of about 17 ha and retrogressed a total of 680 m, 555 m into the flat plain above the river. No lives were lost but a motorist was injured when he drove into the landslide crater. The 1993 landslide occurred 4.5 km downstream of the well-known 1971 South Nation River landslide along a stretch of river that had experienced other historical landslides in 1895 and 1910. A band of earlier, undated, retrogressive sliding, between 100–130 m in width, was present at the base of the slope that failed in 1993, and the earthflow was probably triggered by a reactivation of these failures. Borehole information obtained in 1986 and 1987 in the vicinity of the landslide indicates that a zone of soft, sensitive marine clay existed beneath the flat farmland, which was overlain by a stiffer cap consisting of laminated marine-estuarine sands and deltaic silts and sands. The morphology of the debris suggests a mechanism that involves the fluidization of much of the landslide mass and subsidence, translation, and rotation of cap blocks. The stability number for the site was approximately 9.6, suggesting that the flow could have occurred as a result of extrusion of the soft sensitive clay layer due to undrained cap loading. Landslide debris temporarily blocked the South Nation River, causing flooding upstream and adversely affecting water quality downstream. Key words : landslide, earthflow, sensitive clay, debris hazards, water quality.