Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

ScienceDirect
Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371

Transportation Geotechnics and Geoecology, TGG 2017, 17-19 May 2017, Saint Petersburg,
Russia

Design Method of Bridge Approach Improved by Deep Mixing

Methods in Highway Engineering
Deng Yongfenga,*, Jing Feia , Feng Qib

a
School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P.R.China
b
School of Resource and Environment Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, P.R.China

Abstract

The deep mixing method was usually adopted to improve the thick deposited soft clay foundation in highway engineering,
especially in the bridge approach section. In these projects, the uneven foundation was artificially formed which may cause the
different settlement after the embankment operation. To solve this problem, there are two methods usually employed, i.e. (1)
changing the column spacing and (2) changing column length, but there is not symmetric solution. In this paper, the control
standard of the different slope ratio is first discussed, and then the FEM simulations of the above two methods were performed
considering a lot of combination geological and highway cases. The results show that the probabilistic model based on the
relationship between the maximum slope different slope ratio and the stiffness ratio and the column length ratio could overcome
this problem. Finally, the empirical design methods controlling the relative stiffness ratio and the relative length ratio were
proposed.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International conference on Transportation Geotechnics and
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Geoecology.
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International conference on Transportation Geotechnics and Geoecology
Keywords:Design method; Bridge approach; Deep mixing method; maximum slope different slope ratio

1. Introduction

There alternately existed the embankment, bridge, culvert and other structures along the highway. Among the
embankment and structures, the approach or the transition zone was preset to reduce the different settlement for the

*
Corresponding author. Tel.:+008613951676169;Fax.:0085 25 83795086
Email Address: noden@seu.edu.cn

1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International conference on Transportation Geotechnics and Geoecology
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.05.058
366 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371

driving comfort and safety of the highway. If the different settlement of the approach or the transition wasn’t
controlled well, the bump or pavement crack would occur as Fig. 1 (Liu 2009; Deng et al. 2010). In Fig. 1, there was
a bump located at a culvert, which was supported by piles, and whose two borders were embankment supported by
grounds. Fig. 2 was a case in a highway located at the marine clay zone where many ground improvement methods
were used such as the preloading method and the deep mixing method respectively. The essence of these
appearances is the different settlement and slope after the highway operation shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 1. Hump over culvert supported by pile. Fig. 2.Pavement crack.

To avoid these problems, the transitional zone design is usually specially designed and the bellow three styles are
conventionally adopted: (1) to overlay a new pavement on the existed pavement after an operation period; (2) to set a
concrete cushion slab under pavement of transition zone and (3) to gradually control or change the stiffness of the
foundation. Among them, the style (3) is the most effective and fundamental. The stiffness of the foundation can be
realized by changing column spacing and column length in the engineering practices if the ground improvement by
the deep mixing methods (In Fig. 4), which was also proposed by Shen et al. (2007).
Length (m)
Desined geometric
Slope difference'imax
Settlement (mm) Geometric after operation

Bridge
Embankment
Soft Clay

Deep Mixing Column Sub Stiff Layer

Pile foundation
Fig. 3.Distress essence of transition zones.

Method 1
Changing Column Spacing
Embankment

Soft Clay

Sub Stiff Layer

Deep Mixing Column Method 2
Changing Column Length
Fig. 4.Controlling ground stiffness by deep mixing columns.
 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371 367

Despite these ideas are easily accepted by the designers, it needs to be further studied how to realize. In this
paper, the control standards of the maximum different slope ratio of the embankment after construction was first
introduced based on the pavement function and structure, and the driving safety and comfort with the literature
reviews. Thereafter, the numerical simulation by the finite element method is conducted to analyse the 'imax (in
Fig.3) variation at the combination of the embankment height, column spacing and length, ground characterizations.
With the calculated 'imax, the experimental relations are established with the above parameters, and then they are
statistically discussed to achieve the design method of bridge approach.

2. Control standards of the maximun different slope ratio 'imax

The maximum difference slope ratio imaxis defined as the slope change at the pavement (shown in Fig.3) after
operations since the geometric can be adjusted during construction, whose control standard depends on the
pavement function, driving comfort and the designed service life for each country. In China, there are many
researchers focused on this topic in the term of pavement function, pavement strength and driving safety and
comfort.The results were summarized as bellows:
Flatness requirements: The code “Technology standard of highway engineering in China” suggests that the
maximum change of pavement slope after operation should be less than 0.5 % when the highway is constructed on
the soft clay foundation; while the code “Technology standards of the pavement for the civil aviation airport”
suggests that the maximum change of the pavement slope is 0.46 %.
Pavement strength: Zhou and Chen (1996) analyzed the behavior of the asphalt concrete pavement and found
that the maximum different settlement (5 cm) for this kind of pavement would not bending and crack, which means
the maximum change of the pavement slope is 0.4 %.
Driving safety and comfort: Ye (1997) evaluated the car driving comfort with international code (ISO2631-
1:1997E) at the speed of 90-100 km/h, and found that when the maximum change of the pavement slope was less
than 0.4 %-0.6%, the driving comfort can be accepted.
Additionally, the control standard of the different slope ratio is also discussed by Hsi (2007), Wahls (1990) and
Stark et al. (1995), and the 0.5% value was taken by the Illinois DOT for initiatingmaintenance operations
(Puppulaet al. 2008), while 0.3% was taken in Australia (Hsi, 2007). Note that the ratio was also suggested less than
0.39 % to keep a very good driving quality in the term of the international roughness index (Das et al. 1990).
According to the above analysis, the control standard of the different slope ratio imax is preset as 0.4 % in the
later analysis.

3. Numerical analysis model and parameters

To conduct this research, a highway case,located at Lian-Yun-Gang city, East china,was first selected as the
basic numerical simulation model, where the typical size and filling curve of the embankment was shown in Fig.5
and Fig. 6. The simulated results and deformation behavior was verified with insitu observation, and it is detailed in
the paper (Deng et al. 2010).
368 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371

4.0

End of construction

m
3.0

Embankment Height (m)

34

on 6m
1:1.5

4
e
2.0

z
y

ng
ixi
1.3m x
Crust

m
z

ep
De
10.3m 1.0
Soft clay

0m
11.6m
25m

10
19.0m 25m
Sub layer 0.0
0 500 1000 1500
50m
Elapsed time (day)
Fig.5.Numerical simulation models. Fig. 6.Filling curve.

Thereafter, the embankment height D, thickness of soft clays H, modulus of soft clays Es, column spacing and
length are generalized to analyse the condition effect on the change of different slope ratios. To reduce the difficulty
of analysis, the permeability of soft clay was preset as 0.9*10 -7 cm/s, column diameter was preset as 0.5 m, column
modulus (Ep) was preset as 100 MPa according to the geological investigation and embankment design in Lian-Yun-
Gang city. The composite modulus of improved ground was calculated as E sp= (1-m)Es+mEp, where m is defined as
column replacement ratio. Note that the Morh-Columb strength criterion was also adopted for the clays and
embankments while the elastic criterion was considered for the reinforced zone by deep mixing methods. In
addition, the construction period was preset as 2 years while the operation periods were 15 years respectively
because the difference slope ratio occurred in the construction periods can be remedied and the service life of
highways in China is set as 15 years.
With the above premises, the combined conditions to be simulated can be summarized as Table 1.
Table 1.FEM Analysis Conditions.
Parameters Generalization analysis
Embankment height D 1m, 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m
Thickness of soft clays H 5m, 10m, 15m
Modulus of soft clays Es, 1.5MPa, 2.0MPa, 3.0 MPa
Columns spacing 1.1m, 1.3m, 1.5m, 1.7m
Column length 1, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3 times of the soft clay depth
Parameter of embankment Density 21.0kN/3,C=28.0kPa,phi=29.8°,
modulus=31.2 MPa
Parameter of crust Thickness=1.3m, density=18.0kN/m3,
C=17.6kPa,phi=18.0°, modulus=3.7 MPa
Parameter of soft clays Density=15.3kN/m3, C=10.0kPa,phi=4.6°
Parameter of sublayer density=18.8kN/m3, C=18.8kPa,phi=15.0°, modulus=4.2 MPa;

4. Results analysis

4.1. Method 1: Changing Column Spacing

For each kind of combination cases in Table 1, the maximum slope difference imax at fifteen years operation
can be obtained. To further analyze the relation between the difference slope ratio and the case conditions, the
combined parameter D*H/Es and imax/ln(n) were proposed where n is defined as the stiffness ratio of two zones (the
ratio of the composite modulus with less column spacing to that with larger spacing; or the ratio of the composite
modulus with larger column spacing to that without improvement in Fig.7). The results (shown in Fig.8) found that
the relation can be expressed as max(i)=1/k*ln(n)*D*H/Es, where k is a fitting parameter. In this expression, the
less max(i) is obtained if k is larger at a constant n, D, H and Es, and the more max(i) is obtained if k value is on
the contrary. Hence the determination of k value is dependent on the unsafety and economics of the projects. The
 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371 369

probability is introduced to optimize this problem. The statistical analysis shows that the k value is of the normal
distribution and the average value is 27.5 and the variance is 7.5. If the k value is selected as 20.0, the probabilistic
safety arrives at 83.3 % which the economics and bump safety can be accepted, hence the relation can be expressed
as max(i)=0.05*ln(n)*D*H/Es.
With this expression, maximum i (0.4% is considered as the control standard), the embankment height D, the
depth of soft clays H and the modulus of soft clays Es, the relative stiffness ratio n can be calculated and the deep
mixing column spacing can be adjusted.

Method 1 Changing Column Spacing

Length
Slope difference 'imax

Settlement Embankment

Soft Clay

Esp1 Esp2 Es
Sub Stiff Layer
n=Esp1/Esp2 n=Esp2/Es
Fig. 7. Maximum slope difference of method 1

80
y = k·x

60
D*H/Es

40

20

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
max(Ƹi)/ln(n)
Fig.8. Correlation between D*H/Es and max(i)/ln(n)

4.2. Method 2: Changing Column depth

This case is more complicated than that of method 1 since there exist two maximum slope difference imax1 and
imax2 if we cut part of the deep mixing columns. Despite this, the maximum slope difference imax1 and imax2 after
fifteen years operation can be also obtained with the combinations in Table 1 and numerical simulation model. To
further analyse the relation between the difference and the case conditions, the combined parameter D*H/Es and
imax/ln(1/) were also proposed after referring the analysis method 1, where  is defined as the length ratio of two
zones (the length ratio of the longer to that shorter in Fig.7). The max (i1) and max (i2) can be expressed as the
functions of the parameters D*H/Es and ln(1/) respectively as below:
ଵ ଵ
ƒšሺο݅ଵ ሻ ൌ ‫ Ž כ‬ቀ ቁ ‫ כ  כ‬Ȁ‫ܧ‬௦ (k average 78.6 and variance 16.8) (1)
௞ ఉ
ଵ ଵ
ƒšሺο݅ଶ ሻ ൌ ‫ Ž כ‬ቀ ቁ ‫ כ  כ‬Ȁ‫ܧ‬௦ (k average 35.5 and variance 28.5) (2)
௞ ఉ
370 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371

Method 2 Changing Column length

Length
Slope difference 'imax1

Settlement Slope difference 'imax2

Embankment

Untreated ground

Column length L1 Column length L2

Length ratio E=L2/L1

Fig.9. Maximum slope difference of method 2

In Fig.10, there also exist the good relations between D*H/Es and max(i1)/ln(1/) and max(i2)/ln(1/)
respectively. The average k value of expression (1) is 78.6 and the variance is 16.8, while the average k value of
expression (2) is 35.5 and the variance is 28.5.

80 80

\ N[ \ N[
60 60
' +(V

' +(V

40 40

20 20

0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0 1 2 3 4 5
PD[ƸLOQ£ PD[ƸLOQ£
Fig.10. Correlation between D*H/Es and max(i)/ln(1/)

If the same probabilistic safety 83.3 % as the method 1 is artificially adopted, the expressions (1) and (2) can
be rewritten as:
ଵ
ƒšሺο݅ଵ ሻ ൌ ͲǤͲͳ͸ Ž ቀ ቁ ‫ כ  כ‬Ȁ‫ܧ‬௦ (3)
ఉ
ଵ
ƒšሺο݅ଶ ሻ ൌ ͲǤͳͶ͹ Ž ቀ ቁ ‫ כ  כ‬Ȁ‫ܧ‬௦ (4)
ఉ
With these expressions, the embankment height D, the depth of soft clays H and the modulus of soft clays Es,
the length ratio  can be achieved to both assure the max(i1) and max(i2) less than 0.4 %.

5. Conclusions

The transitional zone design is a key procedure in the highway engineering, while there is not a symmetric
method. In this paper, the numerical FEM was used to simulate the change of the different slope ratio with changing
column spacing and depth of the transition zone. Thereafter the probabilistic relation between the maximum slope
 Deng Yongfeng et al. / Procedia Engineering 189 (2017) 365 – 371 371

ratio and the foundation parameter was established. The main conclusions were drawn as bellows:
(1)With the control standard of the maximum different slope ratio, it is found that the stiffness ratio and length
ratio of the deep mixing column in the transition zonewere useful parameters.
(2)After the statisticalanalysis, the empirical equations were established to guide the design.
(3) Because the numerical simulation model was just established by the highway case in Lian-Yun-Gang city,
the parameter k and others should be recalculated and verified with the other detailed projects.

References

[1]S. C. Das,R. Bakeer, J. Zhong, M.Schutt,Assessment of mitigation embankmentsettlement with pile supported approach slabs, Report of
Louisiana Transportation and ResearchCenter USA, 1990.
[2]Y.F. Deng, S.Y. Liu, Y. Yang, W.J., Settlement properties of highway transition sections on soft soil foundation,Proc. Geoshanghai, ASCE,
2010.
[3]J. P.His, Managing difficult ground-case studies, Proceedings of First Sri LankanGeotechnical Society International Conference on soil and
Rock Engineering, Colombo, 2007.
[4]S.Y. Liu,Ground improvement in highway engineering, Nanjing: Press of Southeast University, 2007,pp.370
[5]A.J. Puppala, S. Saride, E. Archeewa, R.L. Hoyos, S. Nazarian, Recommendations for design, construction, andmaintenance of bridge
approach slabs:synthesis report,Rep. FHWA/TX-09/0-6022-1, Texas Department of TransportationResearch and Technology Implementation
Office USA, 2008.
[6]S.L. Shen, Z.S. Hong, Y.S. Xu, Reducing differential settlements of approachembankments, Proc. of Institute of Civil Engineers, Geotechnical
Engineering, 4(2007)215-226.
[7]T. D. Stark, S. M. Olson, J. H. Long,Differential movement at the embankment/structure interface mitigation and rehabilitation,Rep. No.
IABH1, FY 93,Illinois Department of Transportation,1995.
[8]H. E. Wahls,NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice No. 159: Design and Constructionof Bridge Approache, Transportation Research Board,
National Research Council USA, 1990.
[8]J.S. Ye, Control standards of settlement after operation of bridge transitional zone, Journal of Southeast University, 27(1997)214-217.
[9]H.X.Zhou, R.S. Chen,Uneven settlement control index after operation of highway engineering, Journal of Southeast University, 1(2006)28-32.