Innovative Methods for Levee Rehabilitation

The Corps of Engineers is responsible for 8,500 miles of levees. Levees are subject to overtopping, current and wave attack, surface erosion due to rainfall, through-seepage, underseepage, and slope instability. Conventional methods of levee rehabilitation are both costly and time consuming. Research is underway to develop new methods of levee rehabilitation. This report covers analytical studies on two-dimensional slope stability analysis of geogrid mechanically stabilized slides and slope remediation using a prefabricated geocomposite drainage system. Results of laboratory studies to determine the effectiveness of short randomly distributed polypropylene fibers in reducing crack development (and shallow surface sliding) in clay slopes are given. Guidelines are presented for applying innovative chemical and physical techniques such as geosynthetic systems, mechanically stabilized soil, soil nailing with geotextiles, gravel trenches, and slide suppressor walls to levee rehabilitation.