Design of Geocell-Reinforced Pavement Bases

Abstract

This chapter deals with the design of geocell-reinforced pavement bases which includes the evaluation of the influence of geocell reinforcement on granular aggregate base courses overlying weak clayey soil subgrades. A series of large-scale model tests under static and repeated loading was performed to obtain the influence of geocell-reinforcement, with and without basal geogrid, on the structural capacity of the base layer. An improved stiffness and resilient behavior of the granular base layer was obtained with the geocell-reinforcement in lieu of an additional lateral confinement provided to the granular material. The normalized contact pressure at the interface of the granular base and weak subgrade layers was observed to be well minimal. From the pilot field studies, it was also observed that about 62% of the applied pressure has been absorbed by the reinforced granular base layer and transmitted about 38% to the underlying weak subgrade layer. Finally, two design methodologies, viz traffic benefit ratio (TBR) approach and layer coefficient ratio (LCR) approach, are discussed in this chapter along with the examples from the inputs of the large-scale testing.