Bearing Capacity Behavior of the Clay and Sand Interface Reinforced with Geotextiles

Abstract

The suitability and stability of soil is usually evaluated before its use in construction of pavement. A proper analysis is necessary to ensure that public works infrastructures such as roads, rails, dams, etc. remain safe to withstand settlement and collapse. The use of geosynthetic materials to improve the bearing capacity and settlement performance of subgrade pavement has gained attention in the field of geotechnical engineering. The present study investigated the improvement in the bearing capacity of the clay and sand interface reinforced with geotextile sheets placed at different depths in the sand layer. The results show that the bearing capacity increased significantly with the increased geotextile sheets. The bearing capacity for the soil increased with an average of 53% using one geotextile sheet at interface of soils with 20% depth of sand layer and the bearing capacity increased with an average of 32% while using one geotextile in middle of the sand layer. The penetration resistance and the CBR values increased when the soils reinforced with a one geotextile sheet. At a depth of 20%, the penetration resistance is 98 kN and the CBR increased up to 3.9% compared to the unreinforced one.