Influence of Soil Strength on Optimal Embedment Depth of Geosynthetic Reinforcement Layer in Granular-Reinforced Foundations

Abstract

The effect of soil friction angle value on the optimal embedment depth of a single geosynthetic reinforcement layer in granular foundations was investigated with a numeric simulation approach. The numeric model was validated against the measured results of reduced-scale plane strain model foundations tested with two footing width sizes. The model foundations were constructed with gravel-sized round aggregates and were subjected to the concentrated vertical load of shallow footings analogous to a track–ballast system. After the validation of the numeric model, a series of parametric analyses was carried out with an idealized, full-scale foundation model to investigate the dependency of the optimal reinforcement embedment depth on the soil friction angle value. The optimal reinforcement depth in field-scale reinforced foundations under strip footings is between 10% and 15% of footing width, depending on the site soil friction angle value. The optimal reinforcement depth is found to be slightly closer to the footing in a weaker soil. The range of optimum reinforcement depth values obtained from this study is shallower than those suggested in some earlier studies using reduced-scale model foundations. Optimum reinforcement depth values obtained merely on the basis of the results of reduced-scale tests may be overestimated because of the unrealistically low overburden pressure compared with the field-scale foundations.