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Load Transfer Acting in Basal Reinforced Piled Embankments: a Numerical Approach

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Abstract

Soil reinforcement by geosynthetics is an easy and economic technique to limit the surface settlements of piled embankments over soft ground. The design of such structures is based on the understanding of several assumptions, including due to the fact that soil arching is noted as a main load transfer mechanism. Unfortunately, soil arching and load transfer are complicated phenomena that can be influenced by many factors. In this study, a series of numerical modeling based on the finite element simulations has been carried out based on an experimental study. The soil arching within the embankment reproduced by a scale test has been well modeled as its shape is noted as a concentric ellipse. The geosynthetic behavior, the effect of top load, and the characteristics of embankment and pile have been taken into account in the numerical investigation to clarify the influences on load transfer efficiency. The results indicated that the load transfer phenomenon is not uniform as it can be affected significantly by embankment height, friction angle of fill soil, top load, and the distance between piles. The tensile membrane effects caused by geosynthetics have a considerable relationship to load transfer.

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Availability of Data and Material

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Abbreviations

2-D:

Two-dimensional

3-D:

Three-dimensional

a :

Pile width (m)

c :

Cohesion (kN/m2)

DEM:

Discrete element method

e :

Initial void ratio

\({E}_{a}\) :

Efficiency of load transfer (%)

\({E}_{50}\) :

Secant modulus (kN/m2)

\({E}_{\mathrm{oed}}\) :

Oedometer modulus (kN/m2)

\({E}_{\mathrm{ur}}\) :

Unloading/reloading stiffness (kN/m2)

FEM:

Finite element method

H :

Embankment height (m)

J :

Geosynthetic stiffness (kN/m)

\({K}_{0}\) :

Lateral earth pressure coefficient at rest

L :

Length of pile (m)

m :

Power for stress-level dependency of stiffness

s :

Distance between piles center (m)

T :

Tensile force per unit width of the geosynthetic fabric (kN/m)

ε :

Geosynthetic strain (%)

φ :

Friction angle (°)

ψ :

Dilatancy angle of filling soil (°)

ν :

Poisson ratio

γ :

Unit weight (kN/m3)

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all organizations that made this work possible.

Funding

This research has been funded by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology–VNU-HCM, under grant number T-ĐCDK-2021–08.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Dai-Nhat Vo, Minh-Tuan Pham, Van-An Le & Viet-Nam To

  2. Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Dai-Nhat Vo, Minh-Tuan Pham & Viet-Nam To

Authors
  1. Dai-Nhat Vo
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  2. Minh-Tuan Pham
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  3. Van-An Le
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  4. Viet-Nam To
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and numerical modeling. Dai-Nhat Vo prepared data collection and performed the analysis with Minh-Tuan Pham, Van-An Le, and Viet-Nam To. Minh-Tuan Pham wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and all authors commented on the previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Minh-Tuan Pham.

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Vo, DN., Pham, MT., Le, VA. et al. Load Transfer Acting in Basal Reinforced Piled Embankments: a Numerical Approach. Transp. Infrastruct. Geotech. 11, 1–21 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40515-022-00271-1

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