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A comparative analysis of interface erosion tests

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Abstract

Interface erosion is one of the main phenomena in dams, dikes and their foundations which may increase their failure risk. In laboratories, the jet erosion test (JET) and the hole erosion test (HET) are commonly used for the evaluation of the sensibility of interface erosion of fine soils. The results are interpreted by two distinct methods that are valid for one test only. A new energy analysis of the tests is developed, relating the total eroded mass to the dissipated fluid energy, and a new erosion resistance index is proposed. Seven naturally occurring fine-grained soils, covering a large range of erodibility, are compacted with the Proctor protocol, and they are tested with the two devices. It was shown that by using the commonly used methods, the values of the erosion coefficient are systematically higher with the JET than with the HET and the HET critical shear stress is about fifty times higher than the JET critical shear stress. Thus, the relative soil classifications yielded by the two erodimeters are not exactly the same. Based on energy analysis, values of erosion resistance index are roughly the same for each tested soil with the two apparatuses and a single classification of soil erodibility is obtained.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Greg Hanson of the USDA-HERU Stillwater, OK, for his authorization to reproduce the jet apparatus and for advice on its use. USBR-Denver (Tony Wahl), ERDC-Vicksburg (Johannes Wibowo) and EDF (Jean-Robert Courivaud) are acknowledged for the funding of a part of the work and for their advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Egis Géotechnique, 3 rue Dr. Schweitzer, 38180, Seyssins, France

    Pierre-Louis Regazzoni

  2. Institut de Recherche en Génie Civil et Mécanique, Université de Nantes, 58 rue Michel Ange, BP 420, 44606, Saint-Nazaire Cedex, France

    Didier Marot

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  1. Pierre-Louis Regazzoni
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  2. Didier Marot
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Correspondence to Didier Marot.

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Regazzoni, PL., Marot, D. A comparative analysis of interface erosion tests. Nat Hazards 67, 937–950 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0620-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0620-3

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