PERFORMANCE OF GEOCELL SUPPORTED EMBANKMENT USING PLAXIS

Abstract

In this study, work on PLAXIS 2D software was carried out to study the performance of geocell supported embankment. Properties of uniaxial geogrids (UG), biaxial geogrids (BG) and two types of non-oriented high-density polyethylene geogrids- NG1 and NG2, used to form geocell mattress were considered for the study. The geocell reinforced layer of soil was simulated as equivalent soil layer by empirical equations. The heights of the geocell mattress made from BG geogrid was varied as 100mm, 125mm and 150mm to study the effect of height of the geocell in embankment stability. Apart from the height of the geocell mattress, in the case of the BG01 geocell layer, the infill material of geocell pockets was varied. Geocell openings filled with sandy soil gave better performance than when filled with clayey soil. The surcharge load on the embankment of 400mm height to obtain a factor of safety of 1.15 was calculated for different geometry and types of geocells. The depth and material of the geocell mattress affect the strength and deformation of the soil considerably. A design problem is discussed in detail to describe the analysis presented in this study.