Three-dimensional physical modeling of load transfer in basal reinforced embankments under differential settlement

This study developed a large-scale laboratory apparatus to evaluate the load transfer behavior of basal reinforced embankment fill because of soil arching and geogrid tensile force. A 3D trapdoor-like test system performed five scaled model tests using analogical soil. The instrumentation system involved multiple earth pressure cells, dial gauges, multipoint settlement gauges, and geogrid strainmeters. Comprehensive measurements were performed to investigate the evolution of soil stress and displacement at specific fill elevations with variations in the area replacement ratio and geogrid stiffness. The critical height of the soil arching was determined to be ～1.1–1.94 times the clear pile spacing based on the soil stress and displacement profiles. The distribution of the geogrid tensile strain between and above the adjacent caps demonstrated that the maximum geogrid strains occur on top of the caps, and the tensioned geogrid effect on the load transfer efficiency was evaluated. The cap size and center-to-center pile spacing affect the pile efficacy more significantly than the stiffness of the geogrid. The measured critical heights of arching, stress concentration ratios, and geogrid strain matched those calculated by several well-recognized analytical methods. This experimental program facilitates the development of arching models that account for differential settlement impact.