Behavior of Model Strip Footing Resting on Sand Bed Reinforced with 3D Inserts

Abstract

A series of laboratory model test was conducted on strip footing resting on sand bed reinforced with 2D reinforcement, single sided 3D reinforcement and double sided 3D reinforcement. The various parameters were studied include the depth of variation of 2D and 3D reinforcement and height of variation of vertical members of 3D reinforcement. The experimental study showed a 120% increase in bearing capacity was observed when 2D reinforcement was placed at the optimum depth of 0.5B. In the case of single sided 3D reinforcement, as the height of vertical member of 3D reinforcement was increased, load settlement response and bearing capacity of the soil also increased up to certain limits, further increasing the height beyond that limit drop in the load settlement response is observed. In the case of double sided 3D reinforcement A1 was fixed at 2 cm and height of A2 was varied from 1 to 3 cm. An increase in the bearing capacity was observed more than 300% in the case of single sided 3D reinforcement and more than 350% in the case of double sided 3D reinforcement. Double sided 3D reinforcement can provide additional confinement and passive resistance to the soil, as compared to 2D and single sided 3D reinforcement for the same area.