A Parametric Study on Pavement with Geocell Reinforced Rock Quarry Waste Base on Dredged Soil Subgrade

Abstract

Dredging produces a vast amount of waste from water bodies worldwide, whose valorization is an environmental problem. Weak dredged soil requires some treatment to provide them with adequate strength for construction applications. In the present study, static plate load tests are conducted to understand the effect of high-density polyethylene geocell reinforcement on limestone aggregates and quarry waste on subgrade (dredged soil). Finite element analysis was carried out to compare the results with the experimental analysis. The dolomitic limestone and crushed quarry waste are waste materials readily available in the near vicinity. Static plate load tests were observed for three different geocell heights (100, 125 and 150 mm) in terms of increase in bearing capacity and vertical stress distribution for three different thicknesses of bases (120, 150 and 170 mm). This study aims to present the results in terms of load versus deformation and vertical stress distribution. The results showed that the reinforced layer had undergone a maximum reduction in deformation in comparison to the unreinforced bases. Due to the inclusion of geocell, the average bearing capacity improvement factor enhances, and the vertical stress distribution increases significantly. The average bearing increases by 50% in the case geocell reinforced test section. The results from this study suggest that rock quarry waste can be used as an alternative base material for pavement construction if proper geocell confinement is provided. The present study results will be used as a reference to support that valorization of waste can be beneficial for both nature and the economy.