EMBANKMENT (2005)
3.6.1.1 General – Risks and Possible Damage
Water overflowing the embankment, either from a direct flow or backwater, frequently results in damage to the
railroad. This damage may be as severe as a washout or less apparent in other forms, such as, a loss of the
shoulder, a steepening of the embankment, a loss of crib or shoulder ballast, or a softening of the subgrade's
support characteristics. Damage resulting from sloughing and slides is usually more severe as the water
recedes from a saturated embankment. Loose, fine-grained, cohesionless soils are more susceptible to
sloughing. In general, soil conditions, vegetation, and the rapidity at which the water recedes are primary
factors in determining the risk of sloughing.