Geogrid-soil interaction: A new conceptual model and testing apparatus

This paper provides a more realistic representation of the soil-geogrid interface in indirectly activated geogrids. A new testing apparatus is designed using transparent soil that allows an unobstructed observation of the interface to investigate the interaction occurring along the reinforcement. In this investigation, the reinforcement is indirectly activated by the deformations of the surrounding soil. Deformations were determined by digital image correlation (DIC) using a dot pattern attached to the geogrid and a laser speckle plane within the transparent soil. The interaction is derived from relative soil-geogrid displacements, deflections of geogrid transverse members, geogrid strain and force distributions as well as shear stresses acting at the interface. Three zones were identified corresponding to the distinct modes of interaction: pushout, pullout and interlocking, whereby a micro-mechanical conceptual model was validated. The geogrid force reaches its maximum at the intersection of the critical slip plane with the reinforcement. The results indicate that the pushout, pullout and interlocking areas cover 15%, 49% and 36% of the total geogrid length respectively. In this study, a transition area between the pushout and pullout zones was observed where the mobilised interface shear stress increases to a maximum value.     

Bottom ash as a backfill material in reinforced soil structures

The paper describes the interface behaviour of bottom ash, obtained from two thermal power plants, and geogrid for possible utilization as a reinforced fill material in reinforced soil structures. Pullout tests were conducted on polyester geogrid embedded in compacted bottom ash samples as per ASTM D6706-01. Locally available natural sand was used as a reference material. The pullout resistance offered by geogrid embedded in bottom ash was almost identical to that in sand. In order to study the influence of placement condition of the material on pullout resistance, test were conducted on uncompacted fill materials. Pullout resistance offered by geogrids embedded in uncompacted specimen reduced by 30–60% than that at the compacted condition.     

Effects of transverse members on geogrid pullout behavior considering rigid and flexible top boundaries

Geogrid pullout tests have been regarded as the most direct and effective way to describe the interfacial behavior between geogrid and soil. To investigate the coupled effects of geogrid transverse members and top-loading boundaries on the geogrid-soil interaction, numerical simulations of geogrid pullout tests using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) were carried out in this study. The rigid top boundary was simulated by a rigid wall, while the flexible top boundary was modeled with a string of bonded particles that could rotate and move up and down freely. The coupled effects of geogrid transverse members and top boundary conditions on the geogrid-soil interaction under pullout loads were visualized not only by the force distributions along the geogrids and in the specimens but also by the displacements of soil particles and geogrids. Additionally, the quantitative geogrid force and strain distributions along the geogrids, the lateral force distributions on the front walls, and the vertical displacements of top boundaries also showed the influence of transverse members on the geogrid pullout behavior considering the rigid and flexible top boundaries. The DEM investigation results of this study may provide helpful guidelines for regulating the geogrid pullout test apparatus and methods.     

大型数控拉拔试验系统的研制及应用

跟踪国内外研发现状,结合交通部西部膨胀土项目的开展,研制了CS-LB01大型数控土工合成材料拉拔试验系统。该系统具有试件尺寸大、可采用恒力或恒速两种控制方式实现土工合成材料在不同填料中的拉拔试验、较真实模拟实际工况的特点。加载方式也因上下箱体顶(底)面设置气囊并辅以稳压伺服控制系统、设法消除填土受上下盒侧壁的摩阻影响而更加科学合理。此外,采用高精度拉力和位移传感器、自行开发数据采集分析系统并配套填料压实和起吊辅助设备,使整个系统的人工智能化水平大大提高。试验表明,该系统能较好模拟土工格栅在膨胀土中的工作状态,准确提供筋土界面间的受力、变形及变化规律,从而方便试验参数的采集及对土中加筋作用机理的研究。     

Experimental and numerical analysis of large scale pull out tests conducted on clays reinforced with geogrids encapsulated with coarse material

The pullout test is one of the methods commonly used to study pullout behavior of reinforcements. In the current research, large pullout tests (i.e. 100 × 60 × 60 cm) have been conducted to investigate the possibility of pullout resistance enhancement of clays reinforced with HDPE geogrid embedded in thin layers of sand. Pullout tests on clay–geogrid, sand–geogrid and clay–sand–geogrid samples have been conducted at normal pressures of 25, 50 and 100 kPa. Numerical modeling using finite element method has also been used to assess the adequacy of the box and geogrid sizes to minimize boundary and scale effects. Experimental results show that provision of thin sand layers around the reinforcement substantially enhances pullout resistance of clay soil under monotonic loading conditions and the effectiveness increases with increase in normal pressures. The improvement is more pronounced at higher normal pressures and an optimum sand layer thickness of 8 cm has been determined for maximum enhancement. Results of numerical analysis showed the adequacy of the box and geogrid length adopted as well as a relatively good agreement with experimental results.     

影响格栅加筋膨胀土拉拔试验的新因素分析

不少学者开展过土中加筋拉拔试验,受测试仪器所限,大多通过改变填土含水率、厚度(上覆法向压力)、类型(粗、细粒土)及拉拔速度等因素来研究对试验结果的影响,除考虑筋材类型(土工格栅、带、网或布)外,对筋土中另一重要影响因素—筋材的初始张拉状态少有研究。本文采用长沙理工大学自行研发的大型数控拉拔试验系统,发挥其尺寸大、双向气囊加载、消除侧壁摩擦等优势,开展膨胀土中格栅加筋拉拔试验,探究筋材尺寸、初始张拉状态、温度、界面残余强度及拉拔方式等新因素对测试值的影响。结果表明:格栅尺寸有一定影响,尤其宽度影响较大;对最大拉拔力而言,格栅应力释放的影响近8.8%;拉拔方式的影响约12.1%;温度的影响为15.9%;残余强度的影响占23.6%。研究结果可供加筋膨胀土工程设计参考。     

基于影响带观测的加筋土坡稳定性分析

为了观测土工格栅加筋影响带的范围,采用特制的一侧透明的拉拔盒,共对6种不同级配的粗粒土分别完成了4种法向压力下的拉拔试验。通过预埋于土中用大头针尖制作并包裹于导线皮中的位移观测点,直接观测了土工格栅在粗粒土中拉拔引起的土粒位移,发现格栅的拉拔会带动其上一定厚度范围内的土体发生移动,这个范围称之为加筋影响带。试验发现平均粒径d_(50)0.83 mm的粗粒土中,土工格栅加筋影响带的厚度δ与试样的法向压力没有关联,主要与土粒级配有关,当d_(50)1.05 mm时,δ随d_(50)的增大有较显著的增加;而当d_(50)1.05 mm后,这种趋势明显减缓;特别是当d_(50)1.65 mm后,二者呈良好的线性递增关系。基于这一试验结果,提出了考虑加筋影响带的加筋土坡稳定性分析方法,简称影响带法。在这一方法中,认为土工格栅的加筋作用相当于增加了加筋影响带内土的黏聚力,而内摩擦角不变。从而将加筋土坡简化为成层土坡,使计算大为简化。而计算得到的加筋土坡稳定安全系数在加筋层距不大于0.6 m,且格栅抗拉强度大于20 k N/m时,与有限元强度折减法的计算结果符合良好。     

新型可视土工拉拔试验仪的研发与应用

研制了一台新型可视自动采集数据的土工拉拔试验装置,可用于多种土工材料和填料作用下的拉拔试验。该装置改进了加载系统和反力系统,实现了拉拔界面的可视与数据采集的自动化,并可量测土工材料不同嵌固长度处的位移,获取土工材料变形值,探索筋土作用过程中筋材受力机理及界面土体位移变化规律。使用新研制的试验装置开展了以砾类粗粒土为填料的格栅拉拔试验,结果表明:上覆荷载增大,土中格栅的应变变小,土体与格栅的界面摩擦和嵌固作用越显著;筋土界面处土体颗粒存在平移及转动两种运动模式,且界面处土体形成稳定的位移集中带。     

Physical and numerical modelling of strip footing on geogrid reinforced transparent sand

This paper presents the results of laboratory scale plate load tests on transparent soils reinforced with biaxial polypropylene geogrids. The influence of reinforcement length and number of reinforcement layers on the load-settlement response of the reinforced soil foundation was assessed by varying the reinforcement length and the number of geogrid layers, each spaced at 25% of footing width. The deformations of the reinforcement layers and soil under strip loading were examined with the aid of laser transmitters (to illuminate the geogrid reinforcement) and digital camera. A two-dimensional finite difference program was used to study the fracture of geogrid under strip loading considering the geometry of the model tests. The bearing capacity and stiffness of the reinforced soil foundation has increased with the increase in the reinforcement length and number of reinforcement layers, but the increase is more prominent by increasing number of reinforcement layers. The results from the physical and numerical modelling on reinforced soil foundation reveal that fracture of geogrid could initiate in the bottom layer of reinforcement and progress to subsequent upper layers. The displacement and stress contours along with the mobilized tensile force distribution obtained from the numerical simulations have complimented the observations made from the experiments.     

软土地基加筋土挡墙数值模拟及稳定性探讨

 对一软土地基加筋土挡墙建立二维数值模型,模拟其在分级堆载情况下挡墙和地基内的沉降、水平位移、土压力,以及土工格栅轴向应变的变化规律,模拟结果与现场实测结果基本吻合。采用有限元强度折减法计算的挡墙稳定性和滑裂面位置与实测情况一致,表现为深层滑动失稳。模拟和实测的各层筋材最大应变出现在距墙面4～6 m的位置,与目前土工合成材料加筋挡墙设计理论的朗肯破坏面位置不同,其原因是目前的挡墙设计理论基于刚性地基假定,未考虑地基变形对筋材应变分布及稳定性的影响。采用该数值模型探讨加长挡墙底部筋材对其稳定性的影响,得出挡墙稳定性与底部筋材加长长度和层数关系密切。得到的挡墙稳定性与筋材加长长度和层数的关系曲线,对于软土地基加筋土挡墙设计有指导意义。     

DIA of centrifuge model tests on geogrid reinforced soil walls with low-permeable backfills subjected to rainfall

Geogrid reinforced soil walls (GRSWs) constructed using low-permeable backfills often experience failures when subjected to rainfall. The objective of this paper is to employ centrifuge modelling to investigate the effect of geogrid types on the performance of GRSW models constructed with low-permeable backfill, when subjected to rainfall intensity of 10 mm/h. A 4.5 m radius large beam centrifuge facility was used, and rainfall was simulated using a custom-designed rainfall simulator at 40 gravities. Digital Image Analysis (DIA) was employed to understand the deformation behaviour of GRSWs with low stiffness geogrid layers with and without drainage provision subjected to rainfall. Additionally, the effect of varying stiffness of geogrid reinforcement layers across the height of GRSW was also investigated. The interpretation of DIA helped to quantify displacement vector fields, face movements, surface settlement profiles and geogrid strain distribution with depth. Irrespective of drainage provision, GRSWs reinforced with low stiffness geogrid layers experienced a catastrophic failure at the onset of rainfall. However, GRSW reinforced with geogrid layers of varying stiffness was observed to perform well. This study demonstrates the effective use of DIA of GRSWs subjected to rainfall along with centrifuge-based physical model testing.     

Experimental investigation on the accumulated strain of coarse-grained soil reinforced by geogrid under high-cycle cyclic loading

In this study, a series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted to study the accumulated strain of coarse-grained soil reinforced with geogrids, and the effect of the number of geogrid layers, confining pressure and cyclic stress amplitude was investigated in detail. The test results show that the final accumulated axial strain of the soils reinforced with geogrids is less than that without reinforcement, and less accumulated axial strain is generated for the specimens with more geogrid layers under identical cyclic loading. The results also show that a higher confining pressure or a lower cyclic stress amplitude yields less accumulated axial strain for the reinforced soils. Furthermore, the plastic shakedown limits are determined by the criterion proposed by Chen et al. It indicates that the plastic shakedown limit increases significantly when one layer of geogrid is incorporated into the specimen and then tends to level off with a continuous increase in the number of geogrid layers. Moreover, a higher confining pressure yields a higher plastic shakedown limit for the soils reinforced with geogrid. The results demonstrated that the use of geogrid can be an effective method to reduce the accumulated deformation of subgrade filling materials under high-cycle traffic loading.     

含水量对红黏土中土工格栅拉拔性能影响的试验研究

 通过室内大型拉拔试验设备,对土工格栅在8组不同含水量的红黏土中的拉拔特性进行系统测试。结果发现,土工格栅在黏性填料中主要表现为拔出破坏,含水量对于拉拔力的影响显著,拉拔极限荷载随含水量的增加逐渐降低,在塑限附近趋于一常数,且此时格栅与填料之间的似摩擦因数接近0。格栅的应变分布特征证明含水量的增加导致筋土摩擦力的显著减小。除了影响极限拉拔力,含水量还影响格栅的拉拔过程,它的增加使得格栅应变的线性增长结束后很快达到其极限承载力。     

Centrifuge and numerical model studies on the behaviour of geogrid reinforced soil walls with marginal backfills with and without geocomposite layers

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of geocomposite layers as internal drainage system on the behaviour of geogrid reinforced soil walls with marginal backfills using centrifuge and numerical modelling. A series of centrifuge model tests were carried out using a 4.5 m radius beam centrifuge facility available at IIT Bombay. A seepage condition was imposed to all models to simulate rising ground water condition. Displacement and pore water pressure transducers were used to monitor the performance of all centrifuge models. A geogrid reinforced soil wall without any geocomposite layer experienced catastrophic failure soon after applying seepage due to the development of excess pore water pressure within the reinforced soil zone of the wall. In comparison, reinforced soil wall with two geocomposite layers at the bottom portion of the wall was found to have a good performance at the onset of seepage and by embedding four geocomposite layers up to the mid-height of the wall from bottom as a result of lowering phreatic surface much more effectively. For analysing further the observed behaviour of centrifuge model tests, stability and seepage analysis were conducted using SLOPE/W and SEEP/W software packages. A good agreement was found between the results of numerical analysis and observation made in centrifuge tests. The effect of number of geocomposite layers as well as its transmissivity was further analysed using parametric study. The results of parametric study revealed that the number of geocomposite layers plays a main role on the good performance of the geogrid reinforced soil walls with marginal backfill.     

Displacement and load transfer mechanisms of geogrids under pullout condition

Reinforcing elements embedded within soil mass improve stabilization through a load transfer mechanism between the soil and the reinforcement. Geogrids are a type of geosynthetic frequently used for soil reinforcement, consisting of equally spaced longitudinal and transverse ribs. Under pullout conditions, the longitudinal ribs are responsible for tensile resistance, while transverse ribs contribute to a passive resistance. This paper describes a new analytical model capable of reproducing both load transfer and displacement mechanisms on the geogrid length, under pullout conditions. The model subdivides the geogrid into rheological units, composed by friction/adhesion and spring elements, mounted in line. Friction/adhesion elements respond to the shear component mobilized at the soil–geogrid interface. Spring elements respond to the geogrid's tensile elongation. Model parameters are obtained through tensile strength tests on geogrids and conventional direct shear tests on soil specimens. The need for instrumented pullout tests becomes therefore eliminated. Results predicted from this new model were compared to instrumented pullout test data from two types of geogrids, under various confining stress levels. The results revealed that the new model is capable of reasonably predicting load and displacement distributions along the geogrid.     

Pullout testing and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) analysis of geogrid reinforcement embedded in granular drainage layers

The paper investigates the feasibility of using fine-grained soil as backfill material of geosynthetic-reinforced walls and slopes, through a laboratory study on pullout behavior of geogrids in granular layers. A series of pullout tests was carried out on an HDPE uniaxial geogrid in thin sand and gravel layers that were embedded in clay specimens.Aside from different soil arrangements, the influences of moisture content and overburden pressure on the geogrid pullout behavior is assessed and discussed. The tests were carried out at four different gravimetric water contents (GWC) on the dry and wet sides of the clay optimum moisture content (OMC), and overburden pressure values within the range σ_v = 25–100 kPa. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to capture digital images during the tests, which were processed to help with the interpretation and improved understanding of the soil-geogrid interactions at different GWC values. Results show that embedding geogrid reinforcement in layers of sand or gravel can significantly increase the pullout resistance in an otherwise moist clay backfill, and this improved pullout efficiency is greater at higher overburden pressures. The improvement in pullout capacity was observed in clay specimens compacted at both the dry and wet sides of the OMC.     

A shakedown limit calculation method for geogrid reinforced soils under moving loads

A method to calculate the elastic shakedown limit of transportation systems (e.g. pavements and railways) supported by geogrid reinforced soils is presented. For the first time, lower-bound shakedown theory is combined with a strength-based geogrid simulation approach, resulting in a rapid method to quantify the benefit of geogrids on the elastic shakedown limit. It allows decoupling of elastic stress generation and shakedown calculations, meaning it is straightforward to implement, and requires minimal computational effort. Therefore it presents a useful tool to optimise geogrid design for transportation structures such as highway pavements and railways. To show the capability of the method, shakedown limits are calculated for a variety of geogrid configurations using elastic stresses induced by a moving Hertz load. The effect of geogrid depth, soil cohesion, soil friction angle and loading type (normal versus tangential) are investigated for reinforced and non-reinforced soils. It is found that the optimum depth is sensitive to the soil strength properties. Regarding loading, it is shown that for highly tangential loads, shallower geogrids are effective, while for loads with a minimal tangential component, deeper geogrids are effective.     

Pullout resistance of geogrid and steel reinforcement embedded in lightweight cellular concrete backfill

Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) has been increasingly used as backfill material for retaining walls, ground improvement, and pavements due to its low self-weight, quick installation, and high compressive strength as compared with soils. This paper presents a series of pullout tests performed in the laboratory to investigate the pullout resistance of geogrid (extensible reinforcement) and steel strip (inextensible reinforcement) embedded in LCC. Pullout displacements and pullout forces were monitored using displacement transducers (DT) and a load cell during the pullout process. This study investigated the effects of age, normal stress, fly ash, the presence of a cold joint, and re-pullout on the pullout resistance and calculated the pullout resistance factors F* for geogrid and steel strip embedded in LCC. Test results show that for the geogrid embedded in LCC, the maximum pullout force increased as the normal stress increased. For the steel strip embedded in LCC, the maximum pullout force was independent of the normal stress and increased as the age and the cement to fly ash ratio increased. Test results also show that the presence of a cold joint did not reduce the pullout resistance, while the re-pullout test had lower pullout resistance compared to the original pullout test for the same specimen. The pullout resistance factors F* for steel strips were greater than those for geogrids and these factors decreased as the normal stress increased.     

Visualisation and quantification of geogrid reinforcing effects under strip footing loads using discrete element method

Geogrids have been commonly used in reinforced soil structures to improve their performance. To investigate the geogrid reinforcement mechanisms, discrete element modelling of unreinforced and geogrid reinforced soil foundations and slopes was conducted under surface strip footing loads in this study. For unreinforced and reinforced soil foundations, the numerically obtained footing pressure-settlement relationships were validated by experimental results from the literature. In the numerical modelling of unreinforced and reinforced soil slopes, identical models and micro input parameters to those used in the numerical modelling of unreinforced and reinforced soil foundations were used. The geogrid reinforcing effects under strip footing loads were visualised by the qualitative contact force distributions in the soil structures, as well as the qualitative and quantitative tensile force distributions along the geogrids. In addition, the qualitative displacement distributions of soil particles in the soil structures and the quantitative vertical displacement distributions along soil layers/geogrids also indicated the geogrid reinforcing effects in such practical reinforced soil structures. The discrete element modelling results visualise and quantify the load transfer and spreading behavior in geogrid reinforced soil structures, and it provides researchers with an improved understanding of geogrid reinforcing effects at microscopic scale under strip footing loads.