David Arellano

The University of Memphis | U of M · Department of Civil Engineering

These proceedings of the EPS 2018: 5th International Conference on Geofoam Blocks in Construction Applications, held in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus on May 9 to 11, 2018, present a collection of contributions on the state-of-the-art of research and applications relating to geofoam. Geofoam researchers, consultants, molders, contractors and practitioner...

In 2012-2013, Memphis urban seismic hazard maps were updated and expanded to all of Shelby County, Tennessee, from the original six 7.5′ quadrangles in 2004. The 2013 revised Memphis urban seismic hazard maps used an updated 3D geologic model, which led to a significant increase in hazard. In 2014-2015, we revised the geotechnical aspects of the 20...

The I-40/I-240 Interchange Improvement Project includes the construction of a four-level interchange that will improve the eastbound and westbound traffic on Interstates I-40 and I-240 in Memphis, Tennessee. The new interchange will include two flyover ramps that will extend up to 25 m (80 ft) above roadway level and will be supported on pre-stress...

Using expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam (geofoam block) in slope remediation projects has drawn interest from the civil engineering sector for its ease of application and budget saving features. According to design precedence, all slope remediation applications that use geofoam blocks should incorporate permanent drainage systems to prevent instab...

Nonrecycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam has been widely used in geotechnical engineering applications such as lightweight fill in embankments over soft ground and in slope stabilization and repair. However, recycled-content EPS blocks are not widely used because mechanical property test results, which can ensure properly designed and safe in...

EPS geofoam can be used to support highway bridge structures without the aid of deep foundations. The development of this technology is important to accelerate construction on soft compressible soil. EPS geofoam allows for the rapid construction of bridge foundations on such soils without the time and cost involved in installing traditional foundat...

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam (geofoam block) is commonly used as a lightweight fill for many civil engineering applications. However, when used for slope remediation, the behavior of geofoam block for slope systems undergoing seepage flow is not well known. In this study, a total of 36 laboratory lysimeter experiments (dimensions of 60 cm hei...

The unconfined compression strength test results performed on recycled-content expanded polystyrene (EPS) blocks indicate that EPS blocks consisting of recycled-content expandable polystyrene (PS) can be produced to meet the current ASTM D 6817 standard compressive resistance requirements. Additionally, the results also indicate that the overall re...

The use of lightweight fill, such as EPS-block geofoam, is a slope stabilization procedure that can be used to reduce the weight of the sliding mass and, thereby, reduce the driving forces of the sliding mass. This paper proposes the use of the horizontal slice method (HSM) for seismic stability analysis of slopes stabilized or repaired with EPS-bl...

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)-block geofoam has been successfully used in many civil engineering applications such as lightweight fill in roadway embankments over soft ground and in landslide stabilization and repair. Seismic loading can affect both external and internal stability of an embankment containing EPS-block geofoam. The geofoam dynamic para...

This is the only publicly released document related to Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Project 24-11(02) into the use of EPS-block geofoam for slope stabilization. It is a much-reduced version of the 2011 final report that was never released to the public.

The generally flat landscape of the Memphis, TN, area hides a fascinating geologic history. Cambrian rifting resulted in the concealed faults of the Reelfoot rift, currently the active component of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, lying immediately northwest of the city. Memphis also sits within the Mississippi Embayment. Subsidence of the embayment br...

This document is the complete final report for Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program 24-11(02) into the use of EPS-block geofoam for slope stabilization. This document was never released in its entirety to the public. Only a synopsis was eventually published and released to the public in 2013 as NCHRP Results R...

This paper presents the framework for the interim design guideline for the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) block geofoam for slope stabilization and repair, based on the findings of the NCHRP Project 24-11(02) Phase I study. The overall objective of this research is to develop a design guideline as well as an appropriate material and construction...

This paper presents the framework for the interim design guideline for the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS)-block geofoam for slope stabilization and repair based on the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 24-11(02) Phase I study. The overall objective of this research is to develop a design guideline as well as an approp...

This paper presents a deformation-based load bearing analysis procedure that utilizes the elastic limit stress, i.e. the compressive stress at 1 percent strain, to design expanded-polystyrene (EPS)-block geofoam for roadway embankments. The procedure con-sists of determining the maximum vertical stress from dead and traffic loads at various lev-els...

Preliminary results are presented of the mechanical deformation and the hydraulic behavior of geosynthetic aggregate drainage systems. A full-scale test chamber was developed that would simulate the loading conditions from trench backfill and measure the mechanical deformation and the hydraulic behavior simultaneously. Results for the geosynthetic...

An explicit pavement design procedure to minimize differential icing conditions of pavements underlain by non-earth materials, such as geofoam lightweight fills, is currently not available. Therefore, to initiate the design development process, a differential icing study was performed to evaluate the effect of pavement material type and thickness,...

NCHRP Web Document 65 (Project 24-11) Final Report for Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program Project 24-11(01)

Recommended material and construction standard for using EPS-block geofoam in embankments. This document contains part of the outcomes from the larger NCHRP Project 24-11(01) final report that was published as NCHRP Web Document 65.

This paper focuses on the importance of three-dimensional (3D) slope stability analyses in practice. Commercially available 3D slope stability software does not consider the shear resistance along the two sides of the slide mass that parallel the direction of movement in calculating the 3D factor of safety. Consequently, the 3D factor of safety may...

This paper describes a slope failure involving an unreinforced geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) in a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill liner system. The precise mechanism for the shear movement of the interim slope is not known. However, the significant damage observed in the upper components of the composite liner system suggests that the failure...

This paper describes aslope failure involving anunreinforced geosyntheticclay liner (GCL) inamunicipal solidwaste (MSW)landfill liner system. Theprecise mechanismfor the shear movement of the interim slope is not known. However, the significant damage ob- servedintheuppercomponentsofthecompositelinersystemsuggeststhat thefailure wastrans- latory pr...

Various countries such as France (Laboratoire Central Ponts et Chaussées 1990), Germany (Forschungsgesellschaft et al. have developed design guidelines and manuals to design an embankment on soft soil incorporating EPS-block geofoam. However, despite the extensive and continuing worldwide use of EPS-block geofoam, there is a lack of specific design...