# Comparison of Embankment Properties with Clay Core and Asphaltic Concrete Core
## 1 Introduction  
Identifying an explicit approach through planning is necessary to reduce the probability of double investment and consider the effectiveness of a budget. The transportation network system is one of the significant components of a country's development; it drives economic activities through passenger and cargo transport. For example, to transport agricultural products, construction materials, and domestic goods, most highway systems in Thailand are constructed on soil embankments, which is the same major component in irrigation systems because this material is readily available and has a low construction cost. That is, it is a worthy investment that can last for a century. Therefore, highway engineering has developed the stability of soil embankments, including improved pavement materials for comfort in travel [1; 2; 3]. However, the lack of construction materials has become a recent problem, while existing soil embankments have undergone certain issues due to climate change. The effects of climate change have produced uncertain natural conditions that severely affect the stability of soil embankments [4; 5]. Flooding results from inadequate design that does not consider the effects of climate change. Drainage systems are unable to drain massive amounts of water during high-intensity rainfall and cannot handle rapidly dropping water levels [6]. Moreover, the increase in people's daily activities, recreation, and agricultural transportation on soil embankments along irrigation systems is inevitable. Soil embankments in irrigation systems have not been designed to support massive transportation. This condition is a significant factor that affects the stability of soil embankments. In cases wherein soil embankments are unable to support activities, fatal accidents and property loss may result [7].  
The replacement of soil embankment material is one of the reasonable solutions to this problem, and clay is typically the primary material used. Thus, in material replacement, theengineering properties of replacement materials should be similar to those of the original material. According to collected data, asphaltic concrete can be used as a substitute material for soil [8; 9; 10]. Asphaltic concrete has engineering properties that correspond to those of clay. It is simple, has accessible sources, and controllable cost.  
The objective of this study is to test and compare the properties of soil embankments constructed with clay and asphaltic concrete. Engineering properties, such as the permeability, shear strength, and elastic modulus, are considered for assessing and analyzing the stability of soil embankments. Numerical analysis via GeoStudio is applied to analyze the significant factors, such as seepage through the embankment, displacement, and slope stability, of clay and asphaltic concrete core embankments [11; 12; 13]. To set the test conditions, the water level is divided into two models: the normal water level state and a rapid drawdown state, including the reaction load from transportation on an embankment. The results will be helpful in designing soil embankments to improve stability and strength, reduce the risk of soil embankment loss, and acknowledge the worth of investment costs for soil embankment construction.