Article · Geotechnics · January 21, 2026

Hydromechanical Behaviour and Reinforcement Performance of Railway Embankments Under Seasonal Inundation: A Laboratory Investigation and Numerical Modelling

Baitak Apshikur, Temyrbay Chigambayev, Almas Alizhan, Murat Alimkulov, Bisenbay Makhanov, Yerbulan Abaikhan

Abstract

Seasonal groundwater rise of 2.5–3.0 m leads to full saturation of the lakeside slope of the railway embankment, significantly reducing the strength of clayey–sandy loam layers. Laboratory shear tests showed that saturation decreases the internal friction angle from 24–26° to 16–19°, while effective cohesion drops from 12–18 kPa to 0–3 kPa, identifying the 3–6 m depth interval as the critical weak zone. These parameters were incorporated into PLAXIS 2D/3D hydro-mechanical models to assess the embankment behaviour under three scenarios: natural conditions, high water level, and reinforced configuration. Under elevated water levels, lateral displacement toward the lakeside increased to 0.16–0.21 m, and the plastic strain zone expanded by a factor of 2.4, reducing the safety factor from FS ≈ 1.32 to below 1.10. The proposed stabilization system—replacement of a 1.5 m weak layer, installation of geotextile reinforcement, and application of a bituminous waterproofing layer—substantially improved stability, reducing maximum lateral displacement to 0.12 m (≈43% reduction) and restoring the safety factor to FS = 1.25–1.40. The results demonstrate that low-cost geosynthetic barriers provide an effective and practical engineering solution for maintaining the long-term stability of railway embankments exposed to seasonal inundation.

Geotechnical Engineering and Soil StabilizationGeotechnical Engineering and AnalysisGeotechnical Engineering and Soil Mechanicsrailway embankmentseasonal floodinggroundwater level rise

Hydromechanical Behaviour and Reinforcement Performance of Railway Embankments Under Seasonal Inundation: A Laboratory Investigation and Numerical Modelling

Abstract

More by Baitak Apshikur