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Effect of footing geometry on the slope of reinforced soil during centrifuge modeling

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Abstract

One of the best methods for improving the tensile strength of soil, especially for stabilization of slopes and retaining walls, is to reinforce it using metal or polymer components. In the present experimental study, six soil slopes were reinforced with geotextiles at 1:30 scale. The footings were square-, rectangular-, or strip-shaped and were located 5 or 10 cm from the edge of the slope. A centrifuge was used to study the models at an acceleration of 30g. The results showed that the shape and distance of the footing had a significant effect on the overall bearing capacity and effectiveness of the reinforcing geotextiles according to the depth. The maximum bearing capacity was recorded for the square footing and maximum effectiveness by depth was recorded with the strip footing. Reducing the distance between the footing and the edge of the slope of the reinforced soil decreased the bearing capacity in the square, rectangular, and strip footings by 40%, 46%, and 23%, respectively. The soil reinforcement elements at different layers were examined for increases in the fracture and length. It was found that the increase in fracture and deformation in the upper layers of the geotextile was highest for the strip footing and lowest for the square footing. In other words, as the level of loading increased, the depth of the stress effect increased and the reinforcement layers at that depth were affected by loading.

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Abbreviations

H :

vertical height of slope

h 1 :

depth of wall foundation

B R :

width of reinforcement

L :

length of reinforcement

>L R :

length of reinforcement

S :

space between layers

NL :

number of layers

B :

width of foundation

L :

length of foundation

h :

height of foundation

d :

distance foundation from edge of slope

β :

angle of backfill ground surface from horizontal line

Ng:

acceleration in centrifuge

G s :

specific gravity

e max :

maximum void ratio of soil

e min :

minimum void ratio of soil

C u :

uniformity coefficient of soil grains

C c :

gradation or curvature coefficient of soil grains

D 50 :

diameter at which 50% of soil grains are smaller

φ :

friction angle

γ :

unit weight of soil layer

D r :

relative densities

E :

elasticity modulus

σ z :

total vertical stress

ε :

strain

ρ:

(density)

g:

gravitational acceleration

σ :

stress

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Salimi for his expertise on the centrifuge at the technical college of the University of Tehran. Special thanks are given to the laboratory experts of Amirkabir University of Technology for their assistance with the geotextile experiments.

Funding

This research was carried out with financial support from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran (reference #MSRT9040244) at the University of Tehran. It is in partial fulfillment of a PhD degree by Mr. Behzad Moein from 2013 to 2017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Qom, Qom, IR3716146611, Iran

    Behzad Moein & Mahdi Khodaparast

  2. Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, IR4537138791, Iran

    Behzad Moein

  3. Department of Engineering Geology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, IR1417614411, Iran

    Ali M. Rajabi

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  1. Behzad Moein
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Correspondence to Mahdi Khodaparast.

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Responsible Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler

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Moein, B., Khodaparast, M. & Rajabi, A.M. Effect of footing geometry on the slope of reinforced soil during centrifuge modeling. Arab J Geosci 15, 425 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09713-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09713-z

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