TY - JOUR
T1 - Geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments − 3D discrete numerical analyses of the interaction and mobilization mechanisms
AU - Pham, Tuan A.
AU - Tran, Quoc-Anh
AU - Villard, Pascal
AU - Dias, Daniel
N1 - Funding Information:
The reinforcement strain for the EBGEO method was calculated by the graphs provided by EBGEO [17] assuming a support from the soil foundation. Then, Eq. (24) was used to calculate the reinforcement tension. Similarly, the reinforcement strain for the CUR 226 method was calculated by the graphs provided by CUR 226 [19] or the Excel spreadsheet. Then, the reinforcement tension is calculated by the following expression: (26) where J GR is the tensile stiffness of geosynthetic, and ε is a strain of geosynthetic.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/9/1
Y1 - 2021/9/1
N2 - Three-dimensional numerical analyses using the discrete element method are conducted to investigate several fundamental aspects related to soil-structure interaction and mobilization mechanisms in the geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankments. The contributions of the soil arching, tensioned membrane effect, friction interaction, subsoil support, and punching failure are investigated. The results indicated that the inclusion of the geosynthetic enhances the stress transfer from the subsoil to piles due to the tensioned membrane action, and the stress distribution is more uniform as compared to piled embankment without geosynthetic. However, the tension distribution in geosynthetic is not uniform and the maximum tension occurs near the pile edge. Numerical results also proved that the subsoil provides substantial support and reduces the reinforcement tension while shear stresses are mobilized along the upper and lower sides of soil-geosynthetic interfaces. These mechanisms should be considered in theoretical models to produce a more realistic approach. Finally, ten available design methods are reviewed and compared to the numerical results to assess the performance of analytical models. The results showed that the design method of Pham, CUR 226 design guideline, and EBGEO design standard agree well with the numerical results and are generally better than the results of all other methods.
AB - Three-dimensional numerical analyses using the discrete element method are conducted to investigate several fundamental aspects related to soil-structure interaction and mobilization mechanisms in the geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankments. The contributions of the soil arching, tensioned membrane effect, friction interaction, subsoil support, and punching failure are investigated. The results indicated that the inclusion of the geosynthetic enhances the stress transfer from the subsoil to piles due to the tensioned membrane action, and the stress distribution is more uniform as compared to piled embankment without geosynthetic. However, the tension distribution in geosynthetic is not uniform and the maximum tension occurs near the pile edge. Numerical results also proved that the subsoil provides substantial support and reduces the reinforcement tension while shear stresses are mobilized along the upper and lower sides of soil-geosynthetic interfaces. These mechanisms should be considered in theoretical models to produce a more realistic approach. Finally, ten available design methods are reviewed and compared to the numerical results to assess the performance of analytical models. The results showed that the design method of Pham, CUR 226 design guideline, and EBGEO design standard agree well with the numerical results and are generally better than the results of all other methods.
KW - Design methods
KW - Discrete element model
KW - Geosynthetic
KW - Load transfer mechanism
KW - Numerical analysis
KW - Piled embankment
KW - Soil arching
KW - Soil-structure interaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107128098&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112337
DO - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2021.112337
M3 - Article
SN - 0141-0296
VL - 242
JO - Engineering Structures
JF - Engineering Structures
M1 - 112337
ER -