Evaluating the performance of geosynthetic-reinforced unpaved roads using plate load tests

This study evaluates the performance of geosynthetic-reinforced unpaved road sections over soft subgrade using plate load test. The parameters investigated included the location and tensile modulus of geosynthetics, and the number of geosynthetic layers. Stress distribution on top of the subgrade layer and strain distribution along the geosynthetic reinforcements were also investigated. The test results indicated that geosynthetic reinforcement resulted in appreciable reduction of surface deformation and increase of bearing capacity. The test results also demonstrated the effects of geogrid arrangement/location on the performance of unpaved test sections, with double reinforcement location consistently yielded the best improvement. The definite trend of increasing Bearing Capacity Ratio (BCR) and reloading elastic modulus with increasing tensile modulus of geosynthetics was observed when geosynthetics were grouped according to aperture shape and polymer type. The BCR is defined as the ratio of the bearing capacity of reinforced unpaved sections to that of unreinforced unpaved section.