Geocell Anchor Cage for enhanced load support in soil structures

Abstract

Geocells are established as effective load support systems in many soil structures including foundations, retaining walls and embankments. This manuscript proposes a structural modification to geocell reinforcement through a newly developed Geocell Anchor Cage (GAC) system for improved load bearing capacity and verifies its effectiveness in geocell reinforced sand beds. The GAC consists of a polymeric basal geogrid with several anchor pins, each of them positioned at the centre of a geocell pocket. Plate load tests were carried out on sand beds with a geocell mattress, and a 3D printed polymeric GAC positioned either above or below the mattress. The pressures within the geocell pockets and strains in geocell walls were monitored continuously. With the inclusion of GAC, the performance of geocell reinforced bed is significantly improved in terms of increased load-carrying capacity and reduced footing settlements. The load carrying capacity of a sand bed reinforced with a geocell mattress of width equal to three times the width of the loading plate and a GAC was found to be equal to the load carrying capacity of the bed with a geocell mattress of width equal to four times the width of the plate without a GAC. With the addition of GAC at the bottom, the settlements of the reinforced sand beds reduced by 38%. The measured pressures and strains provided important clues to the internal mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of GAC. Hence the GAC system helps in achieving higher load carrying capacities in soil structures reinforced by geocells with lesser additional cost and reduced space requirements.