1.
AFTER HEAVY RAIN, WATER STAYS ON THE ROAD SURFACE FOR MANY HOURS AND
VEHICLES SLOW DOWN. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, AND WHY IS IT DANGEROUS TO THE
ROAD AND ROAD USERS?
AFTER HEAVY RAIN, DRIVERS MUST SLOW DOWN AS WATER REMAINS ON THE ROAD
SURFACE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS DUE TO POOR OR CLOGGED DRAINAGE, HYDRAULIC
DESIGN FAILURE, INADEQUATE ROAD CAMBER OR ROAD SLOPE, DEPRESSED AREAS IN
THE PAVEMENT, OR SIMPLY OVERWHELMED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS DURING INTENSE
RAINFALL. AS WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN THE PREVIOUS TOPIC, WHEN A LAYER OF
WATER BUILDS UP IN ROAD SURFACE, TIRES LOSE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE
PAVEMENT, WHICH CAN CAUSE A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRACTION, MAKING STEERING AND
BRAKING INEFFECTIVE, AND VEHICLES CAN SKID UNCONTROLLABLY. ADDITIONALLY,
WATER SEEPS INTO CRACKS AND PAVEMENT LAYERS, THE PRESSURE FORCES WATER
THROUGH THE ROAD STRUCTURE, WHICH WILL ACCELERATE POTHOLE FORMATION
AND SUBSIDENCE WHEN VEHICLES TRAVEL OVER THESE SATURATED AREAS AND
TEND TO ENDANGER BOTH DRIVER SAFETY AND LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE
INTEGRITY.
3. A CULVERT ENTRANCE IS BLOCKED BY TREE BRANCHES, BANANA TRUNKS, AND
OTHER DEBRIS DURING A STORM. WHAT WILL MOST LIKELY HAPPEN TO THE WATER
LEVEL AND TO THE ROADWAY?
WHEN BRANCHES, BANANA TRUNKS, LEAVES, TRASH, AND OTHER MATERIALS ARE
CARRIED BY FLOODWATERS, THEY ACCUMULATE AT CULVERT ENTRANCES AND
CREATE A WATER FLOW OBSTRUCTION. WATER LEVELS UPSTREAM CLIMB
NOTICEABLY BEYOND USUAL DUE TO THIS OBSTRUCTION, WHICH DECREASES THE
CULVERT'S ABILITY TO DRAIN WATER. EVENTUALLY, THE ELEVATED HEADWATER
OVERFLOWS THE ROADWAY, CAUSING SURFACE EROSION, EMBANKMENT FAILURE, OR
TOTAL ROAD STRUCTURAL WASHOUT AND AT THE SAME TIME, THIS WILL FLOOD HOMES,
FARMS, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO ADJOINING PROPERTIES.
5. TWO AREAS RECEIVE THE SAME RAINFALL INTENSITY, BUT ONE AREA IS MUCH
LARGER. USING THE RATIONAL FORMULA, WHICH AREA WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
GREATER RUNOFF? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
BASED ON THE RATIONAL FORMULA (Q = cIAd) FOR CALCULATING PEAK RUNOFF, THE
LARGER AREA WILL LIKELY PRODUCE GREATER RUNOFF. SINCE RAINFALL INTENSITY
(I) IS IDENTICAL FOR BOTH AREAS, AND ASSUMING THE C VALUE IS CONSTANT, THE
FORMULA SHOWS THAT Q IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO A. FOR EXAMPLE, IF AREA 2 IS
DOUBLE AREA 1, IT PRODUCES DOUBLE THE PEAK RUNOFF RATE — EVEN WITH THE
EXACT SAME RAINFALL INTENSITY HITTING BOTH.
7. A RETAINING WALL HAS NO WEEP HOLES AND NO DRAINAGE BLANKET. AFTER
CONTINUOUS RAINFALL, THE WALL BEGINS TO LEAN. WHY CAN WATER BEHIND THE
WALL CAUSE THIS PROBLEM?
WATER BUILDUP BEHIND A RETAINING WALL DRAMATICALLY INCREASES THE FORCES
ACTING AGAINST IT AND WITHOUT WEEP HOLES OR A DRAINAGE BLANKET, RAINFALL
HAS NOWHERE TO GO, SATURATING THE BACKFILL AND RAISING THE GROUNDWATER
LEVEL. AS WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN HYDRAULICS, THIS WILL CREATES TWO SERIOUS
PROBLEMS: THE WET SOIL BECOMES SUBSTANTIALLY HEAVIER, AND THE TRAPPED
WATER ITSELF GENERATES LATERAL HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE THAT PUSHES
AGAINST THE WALL. TOGETHER, THESE FORCES PRODUCE MUCH LARGER
OVERTURNING MOMENTS AND SLIDING FORCES THAN RIGHTING MOMENT OR THE WALL
WAS DESIGNED TO RESIST, EVENTUALLY CAUSING IT TO TILT OR LEAN AS THE
FOUNDATION STRUGGLES TO MAINTAIN STABILITY.
9. A SLOPE ALONG THE HIGHWAY STARTS MOVING DOWNWARD AFTER SEEPAGE
DEVELOPS INSIDE THE SOIL. WHAT GENERAL TYPE OF SLOPE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING?
THIS IS A ROTATIONAL SLIDE CAUSED BY SEEPAGE WATER WEAKENING THE SOIL. AS
WATER INFILTRATES THE SLOPE, IT INCREASES PORE WATER PRESSURE AND
REDUCES SHEAR STRENGTH, CAUSING THE SOIL MASS TO ROTATE AND SLIDE
DOWNWARD ALONG A CURVED, CIRCULAR FAILURE SURFACE. THE ADDED WEIGHT OF
SATURATED SOIL COMBINED WITH REDUCED STABILITY CREATES A TIPPING POINT
WHERE THE SLOPE ALONG THE HIGHWAY FAILS BY ROTATING OUTWARD AND
DOWNWARD.
1. What type of slope failure it is?
2. How the soil moves?
3. What condition may cause it?