The Correlation Between the Effective Stress State and Friction Angle in Saturated Fill : A Statistical Analysis of Field-Evaluated Friction Angles Comparedto Swedish Design Standards

Sammanfattning

An assessment of the effective angle of internal friction in comparison with the effective stress state in submerged fill masses aims to broaden the understanding of geotechnical performance in saturated conditions and question the usage of Swedish design values under these conditions. The lack of consensus regarding water’s effect on the friction angle and difficulty in pinpointing the origin of the Swedish values that are used in practice justify the reason for this analysis. Through a synthesis of field data, regulatory review, and statistical analysis, the report concludes inconsistencies between field measured effective friction angle values and the recommended Swedish values. Additionally, the validity of utilizing field tests to estimate the friction angle is questioned.