Experimental and numerical analysis of mechanical properties of geocell reinforced reclaimed construction waste composite base layer

Abstract

Geocell, as a high strength three-dimensional structure, has strong spatial lateral restraint function. This study aims to propose the use of geocell reinforced (GR) reclaimed construction waste (RCW) composite base, and to solve the problems of low strength and being prone to cracking of recycled base caused by poor performance of brick. In this paper, cement stabilized RCW mixture (C-RM) and RCW lean concrete (R-LC) are selected. Through laboratory tests and large-scale plate load test, the mechanical property of single GR RCW specimen and bearing capacity of GR RCW composite base are evaluated. Furthermore, based on the experiments, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used for the mechanical analysis of GR reclaimed base asphalt pavement (RBAP). Results indicate that geocell has obvious reinforcement effect on the RCW concrete, and the effect is closely related to the brick/concrete ratio and specimen diameter. The displacement of RCW composite base is reduced, the resilient modulus is improved and the stress diffusion effect is enhanced obviously. What’s more, the bearing capability of GR R-CL is higher than that of GR C-RM. Additionally, geocell can improve the mechanical response of RBAP, and the main influence range is within 0.5 m from wheel load center.