The paper calls for an attention to the use of observational methods and the interpretation of stability analyses for embankment construction on soft ground by presenting case histories of unsuccessful predictions of embankment failures. The authors suggest that unpredicted failures of the embankments are likely to occur on the embankments built on crust overlying soft clay ground. Brittle failure of the crust may be attributed to sudden and uppredicted failures of the embankments even though observational methods are applied during the construction. The authors also point out that the slip circle analyses are incapable of predicting the embankment instability where a thick crust is present.
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