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Title: Transport and geotechnical properties of porous media with applications to retorted oil shale. Volume 4. Appendix D. Temperature and toe erosion effects on spent oil shale embankment stability

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5621136

To evaluate the engineering property of spent shale at elevated temperatures, high temperature triaxial cells were designed and manufactured. The cells were then used in the test program designed to provide the physical and engineering properties of spent shale (TOSCO-II) at elevated temperatures. A series of consolidated drained triaxial tests were conducted at high temperatures. Duncan-Chang hyperbolic model was adopted to simulate the laboratory stress versus strain behavior of spent shale at various temperatures. This model provides very good fit to the laboratory stress-strain-volumetric strain characteristics of spent shale at various temperatures. The parameters of this model were then formulated as functions of temperatures and the Duncan-Chang model was implemented in a finite element analysis computer code for predicting the stress-deformation behavior of large spent shale embankments. Modified Bishop method was also used in analyzing the stability of spent shale embankments. The stability of three different spent shale embankments at three different temperatures were investigated in the study. Additionally the stability of embankments with different degrees of toe erosion was also studied. Results of this study indicated that (1) the stress-strain-strength properties of soils are affected by temperature variation; (2) the stress-strain-strength behavior of spent shale can be simulated by Duncan-Chang hyperbolic model, (3) the factor of safety of embankment slope decreases with rising temperatures; (4) the embankment deformation increases with rising temperatures; and (5) the toe erosion induced by floods causes the embankment slope to become less stable. It is strongly recommended, to extend this study to investigate the effect of internal seepage on the stability of large spent shale embankment. 68 refs., 53 figs., 16 tabs.

Research Organization:
Colorado Univ., Denver (USA). Dept. of Civil Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-83ER60122
OSTI ID:
5621136
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60122-3-Vol.4-App.D; ON: DE86012030
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English