PRINCIPLES OF SOIL MECHANICS INVOLVED IN FILL CONSTRUCTION

THE STABILITY OF THE FILL AND THE SUPPORTING POWER OF THE UNDERSOIL CAUSED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE FILL ARE INDEPENDENT OF ELASTIC CONSTANTS SINCE THE PROBLEM IS ONE OF PLANE DEFORMATION. THE GREATEST SHEARING STRESS AT ANY POINT IN THE UNDERSOIL IS P/PI WHERE P IS THE UNIT LOAD, AND IF THIS DOES NOT EXCEED THE COHESION CORRESPONDING TO THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE DEFORMATION, THE SUPPORTING POWER OF THE UNDERSOIL IS AMPLE. IF THE COHESION OF THE UNDERSOIL IS LESS THAN P/PI, IT DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT FAILURE WILL RESULT. FURTHER STUDY OF THE SUPPORTING POWER OF THE UNDERSOIL IS NECESSARY IN THIS CASE AND FOR THIS PURPOSE PRANDTL'S METHOD OF PLASTIC EQUILIBRIUM MAY BE USED. THE PHI CIRCLE METHOD IS APPLIED TO THE PROBELM OF THE STABILITY OF THE FILL ITSELF. /AUTHOR/