Geosynthetic reinforced piled embankment modeling using discrete and continuum approaches

Understanding the load transfer mechanism can support engineers having more economical design of geosynthetic reinforced piled embankments. This study aims to investigate the load transfer mechanisms by two different numerical methods including the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Finite Difference Method (FDM). The DEM model adopts (a) discrete particles to simulate the micro-structure of the granular materials and (b) coupled discrete element – finite element method (DEM-FEM) to capture the interaction between granular materials and geotextiles. On the other hand, the FDM model uses an advanced constitutive soil model considering the hardening and softening behaviour of the granular materials. The numerical results show that the geotextiles can only contribute to the vertical loading resistance in cases where the soils between piles are soft enough. In terms of design, an optimum value of the geotextile tensile stiffness can be found considering the load, the soft soil stiffness and the thickness of the embankment. Both the DEM and the FDM show that a high geotextile tensile stiffness is not required since an extra stiffness will slightly contribute to the efficiency of the geosynthetic reinforced piled embankments. Nevertheless, both models are useful to optimize the design of geosynthetic reinforced piled embankments.     

Coupled numerical and experimental analyses of load transfer mechanisms in granular-reinforced platform overlying cavities

A numerical model based on Finite Element Method (FEM) - Discrete Element Method (DEM) coupling is used to reproduce well controlled laboratory experiments that simulate circular cavity openings under granular embankments reinforced by a geotextile. The numerical deflection of the geotextile, the surface settlement and the soil expansion factor were investigated for various embankment heights, diameter ratios, cavity-opening modes, soil properties, and geotextile stiffnesses, and then compared to the results of laboratory tests. The load transfer mechanisms were also investigated. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results is shown, thus demonstrating the relevance of the numerical model. Complementary to the experiments, a numerical sensitivity analysis, that allows highlighting the influence of the main parameters and improving experimental observation, was also performed.     

Numerical analysis of a geosynthetic-reinforced piled load transfer platform – Validation on centrifuge test

Soft soil improvement techniques using a network of rigid inclusions and geosynthetic reinforcement are investigated to improve our understanding of load transfer mechanisms towards piles. The physical modelling of the system consists in simulating fictional soft soil settlement through downward displacement of a perforated tray above a network of rigid piles placed in the centrifuge swinging basket. Tests are used to validate the results of the numerical study.Elasto-plastic and hypoplastic constitutive models have been used to predict the behaviour of the granular mattress, which simulates a Load Platform Transfer (LPT). A two-dimensional, axisymmetrical model has been adopted, which fulfils the validation on the experimental test and the time needed for calculation.The results of the parametric studies show that load transfer increases with mattress thickness and closer pile spacing. Geosynthetic deflection is reduced when load transfer is high.     

加筋形式对桩承式路堤工作性状影响的试验研究

对无加筋和采用不同加筋材料、加筋层数下桩承式路堤的工作性状进行了三维模型试验研究,侧重分析了桩土应力比、应力折减系数、填土中竖向应力分布、地基沉降等内容。结果表明加筋材料的设置有利于荷载向桩顶的转移,可有效减小沉降,但不同加筋形式下桩承式路堤的工作性状有所不同。使用单层或双层土工布时,路堤的荷载传递机理主要是填土的土拱效应和加筋材料的拉膜效应,但拉膜效应发挥相对较晚。使用双层格栅时,加筋材料与周围砂土形成半刚性平台。单层格栅的作用介于两者之间。试验结果与常规拉膜效应设计方法的对比表明,若假设荷载只由相邻桩间的加筋材料条带承担,计算的拉力将偏大,过于保守。     

3D numerical study of the performance of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankments

Geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported (GRPS) systems provide an economic and effective solution for embankments. The load transfer mechanisms are tridimensional ones and depend on the interaction between linked elements, such as piles, soil, and geosynthetics. This paper presents an extensive parametric study using three-dimensional numerical calculations for geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankments. The numerical analysis is conducted for both cohesive and non-cohesive embankment soils to emphasize the fill soil cohesion effect on the load and settlement efficacy of GRPS embankments. The influence of the embankment height, soft ground elastic modulus, improvement area ratio, geosynthetic tensile stiffness and fill soil properties are also investigated on the arching efficacy, GR membrane efficacy, differential settlement, geosynthetic tension, and settlement reduction performance. The numerical results indicated that the GRPS system shows a good performance for reducing the embankment settlements. The ratio of the embankment height to the pile spacing, subsoil stiffness, and fill soil properties are the most important design parameters to be considered in a GRPS design. The results also suggested that the fill soil cohesion strengthens the soil arching effect, and increases the loading efficacy. However, the soil arching mobilization is not necessarily at the peak state but could be reached at the critical state. Finally, the geosynthetic strains are not uniform along the geosynthetic, and the maximum geosynthetic strain occurs at the pile edge. The geosynthetic deformed shape is a curve that is closer to a circular shape than a parabolic one.     

Soil–geosynthetic interaction: Modelling and analysis

Interaction between soils and geosynthetics is of utmost importance in applications of these materials as reinforcement in geotechnical engineering. That is also the case for some applications of geosynthetics in environmental protection works. The mechanisms of soil–geosynthetic interaction can be very complex, depending on the type and properties of the geosynthetic and the soil. This paper presents and discusses some experimental, theoretical and numerical methods for the study and evaluation of interaction between soils and geosynthetics, with particular reference to the applications of these materials in soil reinforcement. The main advantages and limitations of some traditional experimental and theoretical methods for the study of soil–geosynthetics interaction are presented and new applications of these methods are addressed. The need for improvements in experimental and theoretical techniques for a better understanding of soil–geosynthetic interaction is highlighted.     

高应力粒状土中球形孔的扩张问题

考虑粒状土在高应力下的应力－尖变－体变关系和非线性强度特性，依据扩张过程中的能量守恒和体变平衡原理，给出扩极限压力的解答，用于估算临界深度以下静力触探或桩尖的贯入阻力。分析表明，扩孔极限压力取决于粒状土的应力－应变－体变关系和强度特性，与上覆土压力在大小无关。计算结果表明，考虑曲线型强度包线将减小扩孔极限压力，与中密砂土的静力触探贯入阻力经验值对比，初步证实了该理论的正确性。     

Shaking table tests on geosynthetic encased columns in soft clay

This paper presents the results of an experimental research on the behavior of geosynthetic encased stone columns and ordinary stone columns embedded in soft clay under dynamic base shaking. For this purpose, a novel laminar box is designed and developed to run a total of eight sets of 1-G shaking table tests on four different model soil profiles: Soft clay bed, ordinary stone column installed clay bed, and clay beds with geosynthetic encased columns with two different reinforcement stiffnesses. The geosynthetic encased columns are heavily instrumented with strain rosettes to quantify the reinforcement strains developing under the action of dynamic loads. The responses of the columns are studied through the deformation modes of the encased columns and the magnitude and distribution of reinforcement strains under dynamic loading. The response of the granular inclusion enhanced soft subsoil and embankment soil and the identification of the dynamic soil properties of the entire soil body are also discussed in this article. Finally, to determine the effect of dynamic loading on the vertical load carrying capacity, stress-controlled column load tests are undertaken both on seismically loaded and undisturbed columns.     

Two-dimensional soil arching evolution in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments over voids

Soil arching and tensioned membrane effects are two main load transfer mechanisms for geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported (GRPS) embankments over soft soils or voids. Evidences show that the tensioned membrane effect interacts with the soil arching effect. To investigate the soil arching evolution under different geosynthetic reinforcement stiffness and embankment height, a series of discrete element method (DEM) simulations of GRPS embankments were carried out based on physical model tests. The results indicate that the deformation pattern in the GRPS embankments changed from a concentric ellipse arch pattern to an equal settlement pattern with the increase of the embankment height. High stiffness geosynthetic hindered the development of soil arching and required more subsoil settlement to enable the development of maximum soil arching. However, soil arching in the GRPS embankments with low stiffness reinforcement degraded after reaching maximum soil arching. Appropriate stiffness reinforcement ensured the development and stability of maximum soil arching. According to the stress states on the pile top, a concentric ellipse soil arch model is proposed in this paper to describe the soil arching behavior in the GRPS embankments over voids. The predicted heights of soil arches and load efficacies on the piles agreed well with the DEM simulations and the test results from the literature.     

3-Dimensional numerical modeling of geosynthetic-encased granular columns

In this paper, series of three-dimensional (3-d) numerical modeling of geosynthetic-encased granular columns were performed both in model and prototype scale using FLAC^3D software to understand the lateral load carrying capacity of ordinary and geosynthetic encased granular columns (OGC and EGC). In the first part of the study, numerical modeling of direct shear tests were carried out. The soil in the direct shear box was reinforced with two different diameters of granular columns (50 mm and 100 mm) and three different patterns of arrangement (single, triangular and square) to study the effect of group confinement. The numerical simulations were carried out at four different confining pressures namely 15, 30, 45 and 75 kPa. From the numerical simulations it was observed that higher shear stresses are mobilized inside the granular column due to geosynthetic encasement and the magnitude of shear stress increases with increase in the normal pressure. It was found that the tensile forces in the geosynthetic encasement were mobilized both in circumferential and vertical directions, which helps in mobilizing additional confinement in the granular column. In the second part, the influence of the geosynthetic encasement of granular column treated soft ground was demonstrated through 3-dimensional slope stability analyses.     

A novel 2D-3D conversion method for calculating maximum strain of geosynthetic reinforcement in pile-supported embankments

For design of a geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported (GRPS) embankment over soft soil, the methods used to calculate strains in geosynthetic reinforcement at a vertical stress were mostly developed based on a plane-strain or two-dimensional (2-D) condition or a strip between two pile caps. These 2-D-based methods cannot accurately predict the strain of geosynthetic reinforcement under a three-dimensional (3-D) condition. In this paper, a series of numerical models were established to compare the maximum strains and vertical deflections (also called sags) of geosynthetic reinforcement under the 2-D and 3-D conditions, considering the following influence factors: soil support, cap shape and pattern, and a cushion layer between cap and reinforcement. The numerical results show that the maximum strain in the geosynthetic reinforcement decreased with an increase of the modulus of subgrade reaction. The 2-D model underestimated the maximum strain and sag in the geosynthetic reinforcement as compared with the 3-D model. The cap shape and pattern had significant influences on the maximum strains in the geosynthetic reinforcements. An empirical method involving the geometric factors of cap shape and pattern, and the soil support was developed to convert the calculated strains of geosynthetic reinforcement in piled embankments under the 2-D condition to those under the 3-D condition and verified through a comparison with the results in the literature.     

A simplified method for analysis of a piled embankment reinforced with geosynthetics

Piled embankments provide an economic solution to the problem of constructing embankments over soft soils. The piles and geosynthetic combination can alleviate the uneven surface settlements that sometimes occur in embankments supported by piles without reinforcement. The main focus of this paper is to present a new method for analysis of an embankment of granular fill on soft ground supported by a rectangular grid of piles and geosynthetic. This method is based on consideration of the arching effect in granular soil and similar to the method proposed by Low, B.K., Tang, S.K., Choa, V. [1994. Arching in piled embankments. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 120 (11), 1917–1938]. The main refinements are: inclusion of a uniform surcharge load on the embankment fill, individual square caps were used, and taking into account the skin friction mechanism, which contributes to soil–geosynthetic interface resistance. Using this method, the influence of embankment height, soft ground depth, soft ground elastic modulus, and geosynthetic tensile stiffness on efficiency, stress concentration ratio, settlement ratio, tension of geosynthetic, and axial strain of geosynthetic are investigated. The results show that inclusion of a geosynthetic membrane can increase the fill load carried by piles. As a result, both the total and differential settlements of the embankment can be reduced. The new design method was verified against several current design methods. Theoretical solution showed that BS8006 [1995. Code of Practice for Strengthened/Reinforced Soils and other Fills. British Standards Institution, London, p. 162] and Guido, V.A., Kneuppel, J.D., Sweeny, M.A. [1987. Plate loading tests on geogrid-reinforced earth slabs. In: Proceedings of the Geosynthetics '87, New Orleans, USA, IFAI, pp. 216–225] methods overpredict the vertical stress acting on the geosynthetic due to that the reaction of the soft ground on the geosynthetic is not considered in their methods. It also showed that the present method is in good agreement with Low, B.K., Tang, S.K., Choa, V. [1994. Arching in piled embankments. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 120 (11), 1917–1938] method.     

A new generation of soil-geosynthetic interaction experimentation

A new device was developed to comprehensively assess the interaction between soil and reinforcement as well as the interaction between neighboring reinforcement layers in a reinforced soil mass, under both working and ultimate interface shear stress conditions. An understanding of these two interactions is required to assess the mechanical behavior of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil mass considering varying vertical reinforcement spacings. Specifically, the new device allows direct visualization of the kinematic response of soil particles adjacent to the geosynthetic reinforcement layers, which facilitates evaluation of the soil displacement field via digital image analysis. Evaluation of the soil displacement field allows quantification of the extent of the shear influence zone around a tensioned reinforcement layer. Ultimately, the device facilitates investigating the load transfer mechanisms that occur not only at the soil-reinforcement interface, but also at distances farther from the interface, thereby providing additional insight into the effect of vertical reinforcement spacing on a reinforced soil mass. Finally, the device allows monitoring of dilatancy within the reinforced soil mass upon shear stress generation at the interface between soil and reinforcement. Overall, the device was found to provide the measurements needed to adequately predict the strains developing both in reinforcement layers tensioned by direct application of external loads as well as in reinforcement layers tensioned by the shear transfer induced by adjacent geosynthetic reinforcements. Ultimately, the proposed experimentation technique allows generation of data required to evaluate the load transfer mechanisms amongst soil and reinforcement layers in reinforced soil structures. The strain magnitude in the neighboring reinforcements was found to exceed a magnitude of 10% of the strain magnitude obtained in the active reinforcement. The zone of shear stress transfer from the soil-reinforcement interface was found to exceed 0.2 m on each side of the active reinforcement.     

Reinforcement load in geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported model embankments

The stress conditions of geosynthetic reinforcements (GRs) are crucial in achieving the accurate serviceability design of geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported (GRPS) embankments. However, the sensitivity of load distribution to the settlement process has been reported in geosynthetic-reinforced embankment overlying cavities. In this study, a three-dimensional model embankment was used to perform experiments and evaluate the load acting on the GR. A flexible pressure-mapping sensor was introduced to investigate the pressure distribution for two types of supporting conditions: partitioned displacement by multiple movable trapdoors and even trapdoor settlement underneath different subsoil materials. The results showed that the load on the GR was concentrated on the strip areas between adjacent pile heads along with the settlement. The measured load on the GR strip area was related to the settlement process and finally exhibited a U-shaped distribution after detachment from the support underneath. The soil arch height in the subgrade continuously increased with the settlement; meanwhile, the pile head load increased rapidly at first and then decreased slightly or remained stable depending on the foundation support stiffness. For both types of settlement behaviours, soil arching exhibited stress history-related characteristics that influence the load transfer in GRPS embankments.     

Analysis of installation damage tests for LRFD calibration of reinforced soil structures

North American design codes are now committed to the development of load and resistance factor design (LRFD) for reinforced soil structures including internal stability limit states. Reliability-based analysis is required to carry out these calibrations. A framework for LRFD calibration has been proposed by the writers that requires bias statistics for load and resistance terms for each limit state function. In this paper the formulation of the limit state for reinforcement tensile rupture is developed and the component strength-reduction bias statistics identified. The paper describes how to compute bias statistics from project-specific installation damage trials for use in reliability-based design for the reinforcement rupture limit state or using data from multiple sources for LRFD calibration. A database of results from field installation damage trials on 103 different geosynthetic products was collected from 20 different sources. A total of 799 and 2248 in-air tensile test results were reviewed for undamaged and damaged geosynthetic specimens, respectively. This database is used to compute installation damage bias statistics for six different categories of geosynthetic and four categories of backfill soils classified according to the D₅₀ particle size. A practical outcome is that for analysis purposes, bias statistics can be grouped into two ranges for each geosynthetic type based on D₅₀ of the soil greater than or less than 19 mm. The paper shows how bias statistics together with load and resistance factors for the geosynthetic rupture limit state function recommended by AASHTO (2010) can be used to calculate probability of failure using Monte Carlo simulation and demonstrates the sensitivity of probability of failure to magnitude of installation damage bias statistics. The installation damage data is valuable for future LRFD calibration to select resistance factors for use in design codes for the geosynthetic rupture limit state in reinforced soil structures.     

Geosynthetic-encased stone columns: Numerical evaluation

Stone columns (or granular piles) are increasingly being used for ground improvement, particularly for flexible structures such as road embankments, oil storage tanks, etc. When the stone columns are installed in extremely soft soils, the lateral confinement offered by the surrounding soil may not be adequate to form the stone column. Consequently, the stone columns installed in such soils will not be able to develop the required load-bearing capacity. In such soils, the required lateral confinement can be induced by encasing the stone columns with a suitable geosynthetic. The encasement, besides increasing the strength and stiffness of the stone column, prevents the lateral squeezing of stones when the column is installed even in extremely soft soils, thus enabling quicker and more economical installation. This paper investigates the qualitative and quantitative improvement in load capacity of the stone column by encasement through a comprehensive parametric study using the finite element analysis. It is found from the analyses that the encased stone columns have much higher load carrying capacities and undergo lesser compressions and lesser lateral bulging as compared to conventional stone columns. The results have shown that the lateral confining stresses developed in the stone columns are higher with encasement. The encasement at the top portion of the stone column up to twice the diameter of the column is found to be adequate in improving its load carrying capacity. As the stiffness of the encasement increases, the lateral stresses transferred to the surrounding soil are found to decrease. This phenomenon makes the load capacity of encased columns less dependent on the strength of the surrounding soil as compared to the ordinary stone columns.     

Influence of particle contact models on soil response of poorly graded sand during cavity expansion in discrete element simulation

The discrete element method (DEM) has been extensively adopted to investigate many complex geotechnical related problems due to its capability to incorporate the discontinuous nature of granular materials. In particular, when simulating large deformations or distortion of soil (e.g. cavity expansion), DEM can be very effective as other numerical solutions may experience convergence problems. Cavity expansion theory has widespread applications in geotechnical engineering, particularly to the problems concerning in situ testing, pile installation and so forth. In addition, the behaviour of geomaterials in a macro-level is utterly determined by microscopic properties, highlighting the importance of contact models. Despite the fact that there are numerous contact models proposed to mimic the realistic behaviour of granular materials, there are lack of studies on the effects of these contact models on the soil response. Hence, in this study, a series of three-dimensional numerical simulations with different contact constitutive models was conducted to simulate the response of sandy soils during cylindrical cavity expansion. In this numerical investigation, three contact models, i.e. linear contact model, rolling resistance contact model, and Hertz contact model, are considered. It should be noted that the former two models are linear based models, providing linearly elastic and frictional plasticity behaviours, whereas the latter one consists of nonlinear formulation based on an approximation of the theory of Mindlin and Deresiewicz. To examine the effects of these contact models, several cylindrical cavities were created and expanded gradually from an initial radius of 0.055 m to a final radius of 0.1 m. The numerical predictions confirm that the calibrated contact models produced similar results regarding the variations of cavity pressure, radial stress, deviatoric stress, volumetric strain, as well as the soil radial displacement. However, the linear contact model may result in inaccurate predictions when highly angular soil particles are involved. In addition, considering the excessive soil displacement induced by the pile installation (i.e. cavity expansion), a minimum distance of 11a (a is the cavity radius) is recommend for practicing engineers to avoid the potential damages to the existing piles and adjacent structures.     

An analytical method for predicting load acting on geosynthetic overlying voids

Soil arching often occurs in geosynthetic-reinforced structures, where the underlying soil has voids, resulting in load transmission from the subsided area to surrounding less deformed area. A new method is proposed to predict load acting on gensynthetic overlying voids. The shape of soil arch and stress states of all the points at the soil arch can be obtained by combining nonlinear M-C yielding criterion, non-associated flow rule with static equilibrium of segmental arch through a dilatancy coefficient. The load applied to the geosynthetic can be determined by load transmission from the overlying soil, to the soil arch, and onto the collapsed soil. The model is verified using a model test conducted by Zhu et al. (2012), the soil pressure acting on the deflected geosynthetic is reasonably predicted. Due to the inherent nonlinear behaviour of soil, nonlinear failure criterion can better describe the stresses and deformations of the soil and geosynthetic. Soil nonlinearity has significant influence on the evaluation of arching effect. Ignoring the nonlinear behaviour of soil tends to underestimate the soil pressure acting on the geosynthetic. There exists an optimal subsidence width for which the soil pressure acting on the geosynthetic is minimal. The method used in this study is more appropriate where a large deflection occurs in the geosynthetic and provides a novel approach to evaluating soil arching under these conditions.     

Geosynthetic reinforcement stiffness for analytical and numerical modelling of reinforced soil structures

Many analytical and numerical analysis and design methods for geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures require a single-value (constant) estimate of reinforcement stiffness. However, geosynthetic reinforcement products are rate-dependent polymeric materials meaning that they exhibit time and strain-dependent behaviour under load. Hence, the appropriate selection of a constant (elastic) stiffness value requires careful consideration. A simple hyperbolic stiffness model is shown to be a useful approximation to the constant-load isochronous creep-strain behaviour of these materials at low load levels applicable to operational (serviceability) conditions of geosynthetic-reinforced soil structures. A large database of 606 creep tests on 89 different geosynthetic reinforcement products falling within seven different product categories was collected. From these data, isochronous stiffness values were determined for different combinations of duration of loading and strain level. Data from products falling within the same category were collected together to provide approximations linking the isochronous load-strain (creep) stiffness to the ultimate tensile strength of the material. These approximations are useful for analytical and numerical modelling particularly when parametric studies are undertaken to identify the sensitivity of model outcomes to reinforcement stiffness. Finally, three different geosynthetic-reinforced soil application examples are provided to demonstrate the important role of tensile stiffness on analysis and design outcomes.     

Estimating the groutability of granular soils: a new approach

This paper evaluates different parameters that affect the grouting of soil, and presents a new approach to predict the groutability of granular soil. An accurate prediction of the groutability of granular soils has always been complicated due to the effects of different soil parameters. We know that these parameters are the grain-size of soil and cement-based grouts, the relative density and fine contents of soil, the water/cement ratio of grout mixture and grouting pressure, which directly affect the groutability of soil media. However, the relative density, fine contents of soil, the water/cement ratio, and grouting pressure are seldom considered as the prediction of groutability. In order to study the effects of the parameters on groutability, an alternative empirical formula to estimate the groutability of granular soils is presented in this paper and supported by experimental results obtained from the grouted sand samples prepared with various relative densities. The newly developed approach will help for the more accurate prediction of the groutability in granular soils and may also be used to provide first-hand information about the groutability of soils.