Behaviour of Strip Footing Resting on Pretensioned Geogrid-Reinforced Ferrochrome Slag Subgrade

Abstract

Ferrochrome slag is one of the major industrial wastes produced in huge quantities during the manufacturing of high-carbon ferrochromium alloy and it resembles the coarse dark-colored sand. The use of ferrochrome slag as a substitute for natural soil for major geotechnical projects shall not only mitigate the problems of its disposal but also reduce the problem of environmental degradation. Keeping this in view, a series of model footing tests were conducted with unreinforced ferrochrome slag subgrade, as well as subgrade reinforced with a single layer of geogrid without pretension and pretensioned geogrid. Embedment depth for the geogrid was varied corresponding to the width of the footing for both the cases. For pretensioned geogrid, pretensions in the geogrid were varied as 1, 2, and 3% of tensile strength of geogrid. It is concluded that pretensioning of the geogrid is quite beneficial in enhancing the reinforcement efficiency.