Numerical modelling of geocell reinforced slope by use of plastic bottle waste

Afif Agri Diansyah,Ahmad Rifa’I,Fikri Faris,Roberth Evander Meidudga,R Che Omar,E Haryono,D.R Hizbaron,J.T Sri Sumantyo,B White,A Cardenas Tristan,R.F Putri

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202132504001

Abstract

Nowadays, waste management should be one of the focuses in controlling a healthy and sustainable environment. It is undeniable that plastic bottle waste has covered the earth’s surface. One of the solutions to reduce the polluting impact is to use it as a geocell in the geotechnical field. The previous researchers more study about slope reinforcement using fabricated geocell. In this study, geocell is made by utilizing plastic bottle waste. Slope stabilization using geocell is a kind of internal stabilization. Other kinds of slope stabilization, such as using sheet piles and gravity walls, are external stabilization. The purpose of this study is to obtain an overview of the effect of the geocell reinforced slope. From experimental studies using plate load test, results obtained that geocell reinforce soil can increase the bearing capacity of the soil. Numerical modelling uses PLAXIS 2D modelled geocell reinforce slope as a slab that can spread the load widely over the reinforced area, also known as beam model. Young’s modulus of geocell-soil composite is obtained from experimental studies, empirical equation and validated using axisymmetry in PLAXIS 2D. The results of this study, generally geocell reinforce slope can restrain the slope from failure deformation by redistributing the loads in a large area. The significant effect is shown in sandy soil with a high improvement factor (IF), different to the reinforcement in clayey soil with a low improvement factor (IF). It implies that plastic bottle waste can be used as a geocell which can increase its economic value. Since it is applicable, it can reduce the pollution caused by plastic bottle waste.

Highlights

Plastic waste became a severe problem faced by developing countries such as Indonesia
The case of sandy soil shows the deformation is closer to the translation slide, it is represent the nature of sand with flakes collapse or crumble
This paper presents numerical modelling of geocell reinforced slope modelled as a slab

Summary

Introduction

Plastic waste became a severe problem faced by developing countries such as Indonesia. The most material commonly used is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is solid waste, it takes a very long time to decompose. It has contributed to global warming, floods, water pollution and many others This problem requires many solutions to minimize the potency and impact of the natural disasters caused by plastic bottle waste. Based on the environmental and geotechnical aspects above, this research utilizes PET into geocell used for soil reinforcement applied in various types of reinforcement. Geocell is a term of geosynthetics type. It has a different shape from other geosynthetics such as geogrid, geoweb, geomesh, etc. Hand-made geocell can use fabricated material such as geogrids which are shaped into geocell by some manual process. Geosynthetics soil reinforcement became one of the solutions to increase soil strength which generally the problem was the bearing capacity or stability [3]

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