Geotechnical Risk Analysis of the Local Flood Control Projects on the Kansas River in Topeka, Kansas
Location
Arlington, Virginia
Date
14 Aug 2008, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Abstract
The paper presents the results of the geotechnical evaluation of the existing conditions of the local flood protection of Topeka, the state capital of Kansas. The existing levee system constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consists of 6 levees units along the north and south bank of the Kansas River and tributaries, Soldier Creek and Shunganunga Creek. The geotechnical evaluation of the existing conditions of the levee system was based on all available geotechnical data and on the past performance of the system. The critical reaches of each levee unit were identified based on the geotechnical conditions and levee geometry. The geotechnical levee system response to river stage loading was evaluated. Geotechnical information included subsurface investigation performed for the design and construction of the levee, geotechnical information obtained for subsequent levee modification, and cone penetrometer tests and laboratory testing performed on selected samples collected from additional borings drilled in areas considered critical or known to experience excessive underseepage during previous flooding events. Uncertainty analyses were performed to define the existing condition of the Topeka Levee System. The system response was determined by evaluating the foundation and embankment materials and assigning values for the probability moments of the random variables considered in the analyses. The performance functions considered for the risk analyses were slope stability and underseepage piping stability. The internal erosion due to seepage through the embankment was not considered, the levee embankments being constructed of cohesive fill. A set of conditional-probability-of-failure versus floodwater-elevation graphs were developed as related to underseepage piping stability and slope stability for the long-term seepage. Reliability analysis was performed using Taylor’s Series Method. In the Taylor method, random variables were quantified by their expected mean values, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients.
Department(s)
Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Meeting Name
6th Conference of the International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering
Publisher
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Document Version
Final Version
Rights
© 2008 Missouri University of Science and Technology, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
File Type
text
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Perlea, Mary and Loehr, Scott, "Geotechnical Risk Analysis of the Local Flood Control Projects on the Kansas River in Topeka, Kansas" (2008). International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. 4.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/6icchge/session08b/4
Geotechnical Risk Analysis of the Local Flood Control Projects on the Kansas River in Topeka, Kansas
Arlington, Virginia
The paper presents the results of the geotechnical evaluation of the existing conditions of the local flood protection of Topeka, the state capital of Kansas. The existing levee system constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consists of 6 levees units along the north and south bank of the Kansas River and tributaries, Soldier Creek and Shunganunga Creek. The geotechnical evaluation of the existing conditions of the levee system was based on all available geotechnical data and on the past performance of the system. The critical reaches of each levee unit were identified based on the geotechnical conditions and levee geometry. The geotechnical levee system response to river stage loading was evaluated. Geotechnical information included subsurface investigation performed for the design and construction of the levee, geotechnical information obtained for subsequent levee modification, and cone penetrometer tests and laboratory testing performed on selected samples collected from additional borings drilled in areas considered critical or known to experience excessive underseepage during previous flooding events. Uncertainty analyses were performed to define the existing condition of the Topeka Levee System. The system response was determined by evaluating the foundation and embankment materials and assigning values for the probability moments of the random variables considered in the analyses. The performance functions considered for the risk analyses were slope stability and underseepage piping stability. The internal erosion due to seepage through the embankment was not considered, the levee embankments being constructed of cohesive fill. A set of conditional-probability-of-failure versus floodwater-elevation graphs were developed as related to underseepage piping stability and slope stability for the long-term seepage. Reliability analysis was performed using Taylor’s Series Method. In the Taylor method, random variables were quantified by their expected mean values, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients.
