Geotechnical Design Challenges Related to Emergency Repair of a Transportation Corridor After a Fault Rupture Event and Potential Repair Options, Including Use of Lightweight Cellular Concrete

The paper presents an overview, from the geotechnical engineering perspective, of a dike embankment that serves as a transportation corridor and crosses San Andreas Fault in Coachella Valley, California and potential alternatives that were considered for emergency repair of the dike embankment if an earthquake causes a fault rupture through the dike embankment, including the use of Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) for an interim and quick repair to protect lives and important facilities located on the protected side. This paper also covers recent applications and state of practice of LCC in California for transportation related projects. This paper covers the following key issues: (1) project requirements, (2) site conditions and constraints, (3) geologic-seismic hazards, (4) analysis of alternatives for emergency repair after a fault rupture through the dike embankment, (5) a review of state of practice in using LCC for transportation projects, and (6) a summary of recent LCC projects related to transportation projects, including projects related to protecting roadways along the coastline.