Behaviour of Cellular Reinforced Sand Under Triaxial Loading Conditions

Abstract

Cellular reinforcement is a three dimensional reinforcement used for reinforced soil structures. Behaviour of such reinforcement is important for its use in actual practice. Present paper focuses on the behavior of cellular reinforcement in sand under the triaxial loading conditions. Series of triaxial tests are performed on unreinforced and reinforced sand with single layer as well as double layers of cellular reinforcements with 75 mm sample diameter. Six different reinforcement heights of cellular reinforcements (varying from 3 to 50 mm) are used along with one sheet reinforcement of thickness 1 mm. From the experimental failure patterns of the triaxial samples, multiple zones of failure are observed as an effect of cellular reinforcement. Deviator stress–strain curves are studied for single and double layers of cellular reinforcement under three different confining pressures. Peak deviator stress is found increasing with increasing height of cellular reinforcement, which shows the confining effect of cellular reinforcement. Shear strength parameters are evaluated and are found increasing with increase in height of cellular reinforcement, also cellular reinforcement with heights 10 mm and more have showed increased shear strength parameters, as compared to 1 mm thick sheet reinforcement. This assures better behavior performance of cellular reinforcement over the planar one. Failure patterns are also visualized by finite element analysis and found in accord with experimental observations Horizontal displacement for reinforced samples visualized multi-zoned failure pattern. Finite element results for deviator stress–strain relationship are found in reasonably good accord with experimental results.