The DigueELITE project: lessons learned and impact on the design of levees with lime-treated soils

As part of the recent DigueELITE R&D project, the overflow resistance of a levee constructed of lime-treated soil was measured on a structure on the Vidourle river in France. One of the outcomes was the development of a measuring device for the in-situ evaluation of surface erosion, together with the corresponding test protocols and subsequent analysis. It was possible to demonstrate that the lime-treated soil was 5 to 10 times more resistant to overflowing than natural untreated soil, with a maximum improvement in the most sensitive zones (crest and toe). The authors describe the results of the overflow trials on the full-scale levees, and their interpretation, as well as resulting recommendations from the project in terms of levee and small dam design, and a cost analysis.