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Analysis and Design of Sheet Pile Ribs for Slope Stabilization

  • Author / Creator
    Bartz, James R.
  • An unconventional slope stabilization technique locally known in Alberta as “Hardy Ribs” or “Hardy Walls” was implemented by Canadian National Railway Company (CN) to stabilize a very slow moving landslide. This site is located along the Assiniboine River valley in western Manitoba at CN Mile 191.4 of the Rivers Subdivision. The Hardy Ribs consist of a series of parallel sheet pile walls that are installed oriented parallel to the direction of slope movement and driven through the landslide mass into the underlying soil or bedrock. Hardy Ribs have proven to be a suitable option for the railway industry at locations where transporting materials and equipment can be too costly for more conventional slope stabilization techniques. Since this slope stabilization technique is relatively unknown, there are no currently accepted design procedures. This thesis summarizes an analysis of the performance of the slope at CN Mile 191.4 Rivers Subdivision after remediation with Hardy Ribs and a design methodology for Hardy Ribs is developed. The Hardy Ribs installed at CN Mile 191.4 Rivers Subdivision have been effective to reduce the rate of landslide displacement which ultimately reduces the ongoing railway maintenance requirements and associated costs. Some displacement after construction is expected and is required to develop resistance as the Hardy Ribs are a passive system. The ultimate lateral resistance for laterally loaded sheet pile walls and the effect of the spacing between sheet pile walls was estimated using limit equilibrium theory and further investigated by finite element modelling. Based on these findings, a seven step procedure was developed to design Hardy Ribs which consists of a de-coupled approach. The landslide loads and required increase in resistance are calculated from a two-dimensional limit equilibrium stability analysis. The resistance from the Hardy Ribs is calculated from a laterally loaded pile analysis utilizing soil resistance versus pile deflection (p-y) curves.

  • Subjects / Keywords
  • Graduation date
    Fall 2017
  • Type of Item
    Thesis
  • Degree
    Master of Science
  • DOI
    https://doi.org/10.7939/R3833NC3R
  • License
    This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.