An experimental evaluation of geocomposite-reinforced soil sections

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the performance of soil-aggregate sections reinforced by three types of geosynthetics. The main focus of this research was on a geocomposite material comprised of a geogrid and a nonwoven geotextile. Along with investigating this reinforcement, its components (i.e., geogrid and nonwoven geotextile) were also studied individually to make a comparison between their functionalities in soil-aggregate systems. Two sandy soils, one of which was a case study, were chosen as the subgrade layer in this research. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) was the index to examine the strength of specimens. The scale effect of the conventional CBR mold, as well as geosynthetics anchorage, were investigated through fabricating a modified CBR mold. Strain analysis was also carried out by utilizing some foil strain gauges to assess the strain mobilized in the geosynthetics in various reinforced sections. In the presence of both geocomposite and geogrid, load-penetration responses of the specimens enhanced significantly, while the geotextile inclusion effect was in a negative way. Improved functionalities of reinforcing materials were seen in the modified mold.