Empleo de Bloques de Poliestireno Expandido (EPS) en la Rehabilitacion de Terraplenes de Aproximacion a Puentes-Consideraciones de Diseno: Caso Anillo Vial de Cartagena, 1997

El anillo vial de la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias cruza el costado NW de la Cienaga de la Virgen por medio de terraplenes de altura variando entre 3 y 8 m. y cinco puentes cimentados sobre pilotes. El subsuelo esta conformado por arcillas limosas normalmente consolidadas y de alta compresibilidad, que han generado asentamientos de los terraplenes de aproximacion a los puentes. Estos asentamientos llegaron a minar la funcionalidad de los puentes lo cual obligo a repetidas intervenciones de rehabilitacion sin lograr a la fecha el exito deseado. The road ring system of Cartagena City crosses the NW side of La Virgen marshland runs on top of embankments with heights between 3.0 and 8.0m (9.8-26.2ft) and five bridges founded on precast bearing piles 35m long (114.8ft). The soil is mainly soft silty clay, normally consolidated with high compressibility; this poor soil characteristics made the embankments to settle a lot at the approaches of the bridge generating high danger for car and drivers. Rehabilitation works were carried out at the approaches by means of piles to reduced settlements; however, the problem continues. Several alternatives focused to diminish settlements of embankments were analyzed, and the one -innovative- that considered to reduce the weight of the embankment by replacing part of it with blocks of expanded polystyrene-EPS, which is a very light material, was chosen. This was the first serious design using EPS in Colombia. One of the most challenging activities to face, was the rehabilitation planning to allow the traffic to keep moving. The article presents all design considerations for the rehabilitation with blocks of EPS, the soil exploration and soil profile definition, as well.

El anillo vial de la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias cruza el costado NW de la Cienaga de la Virgen por medio de terraplenes de altura variando entre 3 y 8 m. y cinco puentes cimentados sobre pilotes. El subsuelo esta conformado por arcillas limosas normalmente consolidadas y de alta compresibilidad, que han generado asentamientos de los terraplenes de aproximacion a los puentes. Estos asentamientos llegaron a minar la funcionalidad de los puentes lo cual obligo a repetidas intervenciones de rehabilitacion sin lograr a la fecha el exito deseado.
The road ring system of Cartagena City crosses the NW side of La Virgen marshland runs on top of embankments with heights between 3.0 and 8.0m (9.8-26.2ft) and five bridges founded on precast bearing piles 35m long (114.8ft). The soil is mainly soft silty clay, normally consolidated with high compressibility; this poor soil characteristics made the embankments to settle a lot at the approaches of the bridge generating high danger for car and drivers. Rehabilitation works were carried out at the approaches by means of piles to reduced settlements; however, the problem continues.
Several alternatives focused to diminish settlements of embankments were analyzed, and the one -innovative- that considered to reduce the weight of the embankment by replacing part of it with blocks of expanded polystyrene-EPS, which is a very light material, was chosen. This was the first serious design using EPS in Colombia.
One of the most challenging activities to face, was the rehabilitation planning to allow the traffic to keep moving.
The article presents all design considerations for the rehabilitation with blocks of EPS, the soil exploration and soil profile definition, as well.