Exploring the interplay between normal fault rupture and a highway embankment founded on a single-layered soil: Mapping and quantification of damage.

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the effects of a normal fault rupture propagation towards a highway embankment founded on a single-layered soil. To achieve this, quasi-static parametric numerical analyses are performed with the 2D finite difference code, FLAC. The work addresses the influence of the embankment's presence on the fault rupture path, as well as, the deformation of the embankment and the alteration of its initial compaction degree due to the rupture propagation. Results of numerical analyses indicate that the presence of embankment significantly affects the deformations of ground surface. In addition, it is observed that spread of normal fault rupture through the examined embankment causes substantial deformations of embankment's external surface and significant drop of relative compaction. This work achieves to map and quantify the damage of the embankment and therefore provides substantial information on its functionality and safety. • Normal fault rupture diffusion through an embankment based on a single-layered soil. • Effect of embankment's presence on rupture path and soil's free surface distortion. • Important deformation of embankment's external surface due to rupture propagation. • Quantification and mapping of damage pattern of the embankment. • Reduction of embankment's initial compaction degree due to rupture propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]