The use of very light material can help to avoid, either fully or in part, the costs involved in stabilizing foundation terrain. In fact, making use of the considerable reduction of the weight of the filling materials, one can carry out several operations using the technique of "load compensation". This technique allows one to build the embankment without increasing the loads on the terrain (or increasing them only slightly), thus keeping the original balance of stress unchanged. The main advantages provided by a compensated load solution are the following: - when the placing and compacting are finished, the lightweight embankment considerably cuts down absolute and differential settlements; - the use of lightweight materials perceptibly increases the safety coefficient, calculated with reference to the last limit state of the slope; - due to logistical and technical reasons, the solution applying a compensated load is often the only one which can be used: in most cases, in fact, surcharges are not required; - in many cases, the use of alternative lightweight materials makes it unnecessary to much longer and more expensive techniques. This memo analyses the more recent experiences in Italy involving the use of different kinds of filling material: light expanded clay aggregate, Expanded Polystyrene - EPS for building lightweight embankments. These technologies are analysed and compared, from a technical and financial point of view, with traditional road construction methods. For the covering abstract see ITRD E135448.
Abstract