The paper presents the methods of determining the characteristic value on the basis of the standards: PN-B-03020:1981, PN-EN 1997-1:2008, prEN 1997-1:2022-09 and Schneider formula. Determination of the characteristic value of the undrained shear strength τfu was carried out using statistical method on the basis of the prEN 1997-1:2022-09 standard and Schneider formula. The statistical calculations were based on the results of field vane tests carried out in organic subsoil of test embankment in Antoniny test site before loading and after the 2nd embankment stage. In order to determine the undrained shear strength τfu of organic soils from field vane tests, the measured values of shear strength τf v were corrected using the average values of correction factors μ = μ(lab) determined on the basis of triaxial compression, simple shear and triaxial extension tests. The analysis of the calculation results shows that with relatively numerous data sets, large values of the coefficient of variation Vx result in significantly lower characteristic values of τfu obtained according to prEN 1997-1:2022-09, compared to the values obtained according to the Schneider formula. In the case of few data sets, for which high values of the coefficient kn are obtained, with high values of the coefficient of variation Vx , the comparison of the values according to prEN 1997-1:2022-09 with the values obtained according to the Schneider formula shows the greatest differences.

A fast reduction of a reservoir level may result in instability of an earth dam caused by the high pore water pressures that remain relatively high in the embankment. Moreover, the dissipation of the accumulated pore water pressures is highly dependent on the permeability of the materials used for the embankment and the storage characteristics of the reservoir. Therefore, in the design of embankment dams, the stability analysis under rapid drawdown loading conditions is an important design case. In this study, the influence of different permeability rates on dam stability under different cases of rapid drawdownwas investigated using the finite element method in SEEP/W and SLOPE/W of the GeoStudio with a case of the Lugoda dam in Ndembera catchment, Tanzania. The modeling process considers the time-dependent hydraulic conditions and the transient flow conditions using different water levels during rapid drawdown for evaluation of the factor of safety. From the 1m per day drawdown rate; the lowest minimum factor of safety value (0.90) was obtained from the 10 ^-7 m/s material permeability of the upstream zone of the dam. It means that, at a drawdown rate of 1m per day, there is a potential for failure of the embankment if the hydraulic conductivity value will be somewhere below 10 ^-6 m/s.