Sensitivity of Counter Weight on

Soft Clay

Geotechnical Engineering

November 2013
Introduction
1. Counter weight is a constructed butress in toe of soft clay, consist of compacted
back fill material (claystone, siltstone from over burden layer).
2. Counter weight is proposed to hold the soft clay from displacement.
3. The configuration of counter weight should follow the soft clay thickness.
4. Drainage and dewatering is required to optimize the restrain capability.
5. Ground displacement monitoring point should be installed in vicinity area of counter
weight. 1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4
FoS

berm 4m
1.3
berm 5m
1.2 berm 6m

1.1

0.9
10 m 15 m 20 m 25 m 30 m

Soft Clay Thickness

Counter Weight Configuration
Single Bench configuration following sketch below :

The counter weight base and width berm configuration are vary according to soft
clay thickness, the design should comply minimum FoS (1.3):

soft clay FoS number of

thickness width berm bench
base cw
4 5 6 7 (h = 5 m)
5m 5m 2.609 1
10 m 7m 1.362 1.482 1.554 2
15 m 12 m 1.253 1.294 1.337 3
20 m 20 m 1.286 1.305 1.334 4
25 m 28 m 1.287 1.301 1.329 5
30 m 38 m 1.389 1.339 1.342 6
Soft Clay 5 m
Base 5
Soft Clay 10 m
Base 7
Width berm 4 m
Soft Clay 10 m
Base 7
Width berm 5 m
Soft Clay 10 m
Base 7
Width berm 6 m
Soft Clay 15 m
Base 12
Width berm 4 m
Soft Clay 15 m
Base 12
Width berm 5 m
Soft Clay 15 m
Base 12
Width berm 6 m
Soft Clay 20 m
Base 20
Width berm 4 m
Soft Clay 20 m
Base 20
Width berm 5 m
Soft Clay 20 m
Base 20
Width berm 6 m
Soft Clay 25 m
Base 20
Width berm 4 m
Soft Clay 25 m
Base 20
Width berm 5 m
Soft Clay 25 m
Base 20
Width berm 6 m
Soft Clay 30 m
Base 38
Width berm 4 m
Soft Clay 30 m
Base 38
Width berm 5 m
Soft Clay 30 m
Base 38
Width berm 6 m