Soil-atmosphere Interaction as Triggering Factors of Openings between Embankment and Pavement

The analysis of openings between embankment and pavement due to uneven deformations of the highway embankment is incapable of accurate prediction when the pattern of seasonal weather variation is considered. This realization was used for elaborate openings analyses which include infiltration and evapotranspiration of the embankment soils to better predict atmosphere-induced openings between embankment and pavement at Nairobi where the longitudinal cracks of the pavement structure occurred during the period of the season alternation. The empirical equations were used to estimate evapotranspiration and the soil-water characteristic curve was established for the embankment soils. The consolidation theory and the moisture swelling model were then used to estimate performances of the highway embankment under atmospheric influence. A field test was conducted to verify the simulated moisture change in soil and soil movement, and small difference between simulated and measured values was found. The results showed that openings between embankment and pavement would occur when the highway embankment had undergone uneven deformations due to the rainfall and evapotranspiration, there were small openings during the dry season, but the maximum openings reached 10.2 mm and 25.5 mm during the first rainy season and the most intense rainy season, respectively.