Electrokinetic Geotextile Stabilization of Embankment Slopes

The choice of repair of slope depends on site conditions and cost. This includes reducing the slope, installing horizontal drains, soil nailing and providing stability by structural methods. All these methods have their limitations and some are very costly. Another alternative is the electrokinetic stabilization of slopes. EKG reinforcement or soil nails not only provide reinforcement, but also increase the shear strength of the soil in which they are placed as well as improving soil-reinforcement bond. The development of EKG materials offers slope stabilisation of embankments and cuttings in fine grained soils, which will significantly increase the factor of safety , address pore pressure changes and also avoids importing earthwork materials or aggregates. By inserting a grid of anodes and a cathode into the ground and applying an electrical potential difference across the slope drives water away, via the cathodes and creates physical changes in the embankment, promoting consolidation of the slope materials. Anodes and cathodes were connected to a DC power circuit and electrified for a calculated period based on water content, strength and electrode spacing. The conductive geotextile used was coir geotextile and it was woven with steel filament in weft direction only. The steel filament made the geotextile conductive. The geotextile used was natural geotextile and it is required after the end of construction of embankment only, till the completion of dissipation of pore pressure.