Proposed road from old

Priliminary observation on visual

Agartala to Chandrapur,
inspection of a sinking a zone :
Dipankar Chakrabarti, Associate Director, TRIPURA.
BPC Consultant India Pvt.Ltd. 4.256 Km under progress PMGSY
road (TR 01/200)
Concept Building, Prince Park, 1St floor,
(L061 of Jirania Block.)
514/A/1, Kalikapur Road, Kolkata. 700 099.

The Scenario: Whenever there is a prolonged rain that saturates soil, a stretch of
about 150m to 200m of the embankment of a road in Tripura, from Old Agartala
to Chandrapur, starts sinking and sinking. The embankment keeps on sinking.
Some times to the extent of Eight feet (2.5 m) in one single phase. The
connectivity gets lost.
To keep the road traffic worthy different kinds of non plastic soil and non
cohesive masses like sand and Brick bats were randomly put in. Seven (7) such
attempts for stabilization were made. But all attempts remained in vain.
Where do the deposited materials and the embankment soil go? : The deposited
materials simply sinks down partially replacing an under laying layer of decayed
bio mass, squeezed in between two layers of soils. This bio-mass horizontally
transfers the pressure due to the overburden soil-sand-bats to the adjoining
similar bio mass existing beneath the river bed and the bed swells upward. The
available hollow space is occupied by the flowing bio-mass at some depth below
embankment resulting sinking of the embankment.

Bed swells upward

forming dikes.
Evidence and passageway of escaped bio-mass: The phenomenon is evident
from bulging up of the adjacent river bed and the presence of bio mass in the
dikes.

The flow of the bio-mass is towards the river because the level of the area on the
other side of the embankment is about 3.0m higher than the river bed hence the
land is also exerting pressure in the under soil. The area gets inundated and the
‘Sub-Surface Run off (SSRO) is towards the river. The SSRO drags the biomass to
flow towards the river.

The phenomenon was apprehended by the engineers trying to find solutions.

Gabion protective works were done, earth/sand filled bags were placed to protect
toe of the embankment and the side slope. Most of the Gabions and the
earth/sand filled bags have sunk or of no use in terms of the predominant
problem. Because the soil movement is neither due to the active earth pressure
of the embankment soil nor there is any slip failure. Deep strains of rain- cuts
prove this.
Some steel joists were driven
vertically to support Bitumen-
drum sheet walling to combat
the flowing mass. But it also
failed since possibly the joist
and walling was resting above
bottom of the flowing laminar.
Most of the driven joists have
been tilted clockwise towards
embankment.
 Flown out bio-mass from the sinking
embankment at depicted location.

On 4 February, 2019 a joint inspection was made to the referred section of the
road along with Sri Bimal Das, Superintending Engineer, PMGSY Circle , PWD,
Agartala and Sri Jogesh jamatia, Executive Engineer, PMGSY, Division-I, PWD,
Agartala as per directives of the Chief Engineer,PWD(PMGSY) & Empowered
Officer,TRRDA.

At site, wide discussion on the scenario was made and it is found that the
available soil survey report is inadequate and do not serve the process of
ascertaining future restoration strategy. A sample bio mass was collected from
the site.
The above documentation is the outcome of the joint inspection.

Conclusion:

Ascertaining the boundary and the thickness of the bio-mass:

1. Ascertaining the boundary and the thickness of the bio-mass is most

important. Systematic detailed studies of the soil stratums are required.
2. Two different sets of soil borehole tests are to be carried out randomly.
A. One set of boreholes of low depth, say 5m-10m approximately 15 -20
numbers on embankment as well as in the river bed. And
B. 9 (Nine) numbers of deep boreholes (the depth shall be depending on
the bio-mass layer thickness) of which the first one shall be 50m deep.
Thereafter the depth and the number of deep Boreholes shall be
decided on the basis of the result to be obtained from the first set of
boreholes.

Anticipated design options:

1. The Bio-mass layer is outcome of buried vegetations under pseudo-

metamorphic change having no load bearing capacity. Hence it has to be
replaced.
2. The replacement of this layer may either be done
a. By excavating and replacing by good quality soil/sand.
b. Or, Let the biomass flow out naturally. Suitable water jet method may
also be enforced for faster clearing.
3. In any case the road is to be in operating condition, some temporary
diversions may be in place during construction period.
4. Bridging the area.
5. Changing alignment.
Summing up together a hypothetical model is visualized which is explained by
the help of the following sketch.

It must be carefully noted that this is just a hypothesis. It would be seriously

under consideration if and only if the assumed soil characteristics parameters
are found in line of assumptions and the cost parameter is also feasible.

Put up to the Chief Engineer, PWD (PMGSY) & Empowered Officer, TRRDA for kind
perusal and necessary action please.