Abstract
Land subsidence can severely impact infrastructure and alter existing floodplain designations by changing ground elevation, ground slope (gradient), and through the development of ground cracks, known as earth fissures, that can erode into large gullies. Mitigation strategies and engineering solutions for infrastructure at risk from earth fissures are not widely available in existing literature, however many examples exist. Guidance on mitigation strategies intending to reduce the level of risk associated with the infrastructure exposed to earth fissure hazards has been developed for several sites in Arizona. The options are intentionally flexible so that the owner and design team can develop solutions that conform to the risk tolerance of stakeholders. The guidance is as follows:
-
High Hazard Areas (earth fissures known to be present). Avoidance and/or significant engineered mitigation solutions.
-
Moderate Hazard Areas (earth fissures could be present or develop in the future). Consider avoidance or implement engineered mitigation efforts such as structural elements and/or subsidence and earth fissure monitoring.
-
Low Hazard Areas (earth fissures unlikely to be present or to develop in the future). Typical safety monitoring and maintenance for the infrastructure type.
Additionally, engineering solutions have been designed and constructed throughout the Southwestern USA. These engineering solutions depend on the consequence of failure for the infrastructure at risk due to earth fissuring. Solutions include a variety of design goals, such as prevention of catastrophic failure, reduction of maintenance needs, and monitoring the hazard. Constructed engineering solutions include monitoring instrumentation, surface water diversion, cut-off walls, geotextile encapsulating aggregate ‘burrito’ wrap, structurally reinforced embankments, geotextile reinforcement of engineered fill, reinforced concrete lining, rip-rap lining, geotextile liners, use of controlled low-strength material backfill, and hybrid methods combining multiple approaches mentioned above.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arizona Land Subsidence Interest Group: Suggested Guidelines for Investigating Land-Subsidence and Earth Fissure Hazards in Arizona. Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report CR-11-D (2011)
Borchers, J.W., Carpenter, M.: Land subsidence from groundwater use in California. Prepared by Luhdorff & Scalmanini Consulting Engineers. Prepared for the CA Water Plan Update 2013, vol. 4 Reference Guide (2014)
Carpenter, M.C.: Continuous monitoring of an earth fissure in Chino, California, USA—a management tool. Proc. IAHS 372, 291–296 (2015)
Carpenter, M.C.: Deformation across and near earth fissures: measurement techniques and results. U.S. Geological Survey Subsidence Interest Group Conference, Edwards Air Force Base, Antelope Valley, California, November 18–19, 1992: Abstracts and Summary. Open-file Report 94–532 (1994)
Covarrubais, S.W.: Cracking of earth and rock-fill dams: a theoretical investigation by means of the finite element method. Harvard Soil Mechanics Series No. 82. 163 p. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA (1969)
Fellows, L.D.: Groundwater pumping causes Arizona to Sink. Ariz. Geol. 29(3), 1–5 (1999)
Fergason, K.C., Rucker, M.L., Greenslade, M.D.: Investigative procedures for assessing earth fissure risk for dams and levees, United States Society on Dams, 33rd Annual Meeting and Conference, Phoenix, AZ, 11–15 Feb 2013
Fergason, K.C., Rucker, M.L., Panda, B.: Methods for monitoring land subsidence and earth fissures in the Western USA. In: Proceedings IAHS, 372, Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Land Subsidence, Nagoya, Japan, November 15–19, pp. 361–366 (2015)
Fergason, K.F., Rucker, M.L.: Earth Fissures and Infrastructure: A Case History at the Siphon Draw Detention Basin, Central Arizona. IAEG/AEG Annual Meeting Proceedings, San Francisco, CA, 2018—Volume 5: Geologic Hazards: Earthquakes, Land Subsidence, Coastal Hazards, and Emergency Response, Volume 5—IAEG_AEG_2018, 032, v1 (2018)
Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., Ingebritsen, S.E.: Land subsidence in the United States, U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, 177 p. (1999)
Haneberg, W.C.: Drape folding of compressible elastic layers, I. analytical solutions for vertical uplift. J. Struct. Geol. 15 (1992)
Holzer, T.L., Davis, S.N.: Earth fissures caused by ground-water level declines, Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Geol. Soc. Am. Abs. Prog. 13(2), 61–62 (1981)
Holzer, T.L.: Preconsolidated stress of aquifer systems in areas of induced land subsidence. Water Resour. Res. 17(1) (1981)
Holzer, T.L.: Reconnaissance maps of earth fissures and land subsidence, Bowie and Willcox Areas, Arizona. U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1156 (1980)
Jachens, R.C., Holzer, T.L.: Differential compaction mechanisms for earth fissures near casa grande. Ariz. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 93, 998–1012 (1982)
Jachens, R.C., Holzer, T.L.: Geophysical Investigations of Ground Failure Related to Groundwater Withdrawal, Picacho Basin, Arizona in Groundwater, vol. 17, no. 6. pp. 574–585
Keaton, J.R., Rucker, M.L., Cheng, S.S.: Geomechanical analysis of an earth fissure induced by ground-water withdrawal for design of a proposed ash and sludge impoundment, Southeastern Arizona. In Land Subsidence Case Studies and Current Research: Proceedings of the Dr. Joseph F. Poland Symposium on Land Subsidence, Edited by Borchers, J.W., Special Publication No. 8, Association of Engineering Geologists, Star Publishing Company, Belmont, California, pp. 217–226, (1998)
Laney, R.L., Raymond, R.H., Winikka, C.C.: Maps Showing Water Declines, Land Subsidence, and Earth Fissures in South-Central Arizona. U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Open-file Report 78–83 (1978)
Larson, M.K., Péwé, T.L.: Origin of Land Subsidence and Earth Fissuring, Northeast Phoenix, Arizona. Bull. Assoc. Eng. Geol. XXIII(2), 139–165 (1986)
Lee, K.L., Shen, C.K.: Horizontal movements related to subsidence. J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. ASCE 95(SM1), 139–166 (1969)
Leonard, R.J.: An earth fissure in Southern Arizona. J. Geol. 37(8), 765–774 (1929)
Leonards, G.A., Narain, J.: Flexibility and cracking of earth dams. ASCE J. Soil Mech. Found Div, 89(SM2), Pt. 1, pp. 47–98 (1963)
Lund, W.R.: Guidelines for evaluating land-subsidence and earth-fissure hazards in Utah. In Bowman, S.D., Lund, W.R. (eds.) Guidelines for investigating geologic hazards and preparing engineering-geology reports, with a suggested approach to geologic-hazard ordinances in Utah: Utah Geological Survey Circular 122, pp. 93–110
Neely, S.D.: Identification and Mitigation of an Earth Fissure. Arizona State Route 303L; Glendale Avenue to Peoria Avenue Segment, Phoenix, Arizona. Prepared for the 62nd Highway Geology Symposium, July 2011
Poland, T.F.: Subsidence in the United States due to groundwater withdrawal. J. Irrig. Drain. Div. ASCE 107(2), 115–135 (1981)
Rucker, M.L., Fergason, K.C., Greenslade, M.D., Hansen, L.A.: Characterization of Subsidence Impacting Flood Control Dams and Levees, United States Society on Dams, 33rd Annual Meeting and Conference, Phoenix, AZ, 11–15 Feb 2013
Rucker, M.L., Greenslade, M.D., Weeks, R.E., Fergason, K.C., Panda, B.B.: Geophysical and remote sensing characterization to mitigate McMicken Dam. In: Reddy, K.R., Khire, M.V., Alshawabkeh, A.N. (eds.) GeoCongress 2008: Geosustainability and Geohazard Mitigation (GSP 178), pp. 207–214. American Society of Civil Engineers (2008)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Fergason, K.C., Rucker, M.L. (2019). Mitigation Strategies and Engineering Solutions for Infrastructure at Risk from Earth Fissures. In: Shakoor, A., Cato, K. (eds) IAEG/AEG Annual Meeting Proceedings, San Francisco, California, 2018 - Volume 5. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93136-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93136-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-93135-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-93136-4
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)