Abstract
The successful application of geosynthetic reinforcement in granular soil motivates additional research into the practicality of geosynthetics in cohesive soils. The shear strength behavior of three different cohesive soils (non-, low, and medium plastic) was investigated with two types of geosynthetics (woven geotextile (WGT) and geogrid (GG)) by executing a series of triaxial compression tests with and without reinforcement. Additionally, slope stability analyses on reinforced earth slope were carried out utilizing the limit equilibrium (LE) (Slide and Slope/W), finite element (FE) (PLAXIS), and ordinary method of slices approach (analytical). The experimental results revealed that WGT was found to be more effective than GG due to higher interface friction resistance and tensile strength. The escalation in shear strength was observed 241% and 140% with four layers of WGT and GG, respectively. However, the reinforcement was found to be more efficient in non-plastic soil compared with low and medium-plastic soils in gaining shear strength. The rise in shear strength with WGT was observed 241%, 121%, and 89%, respectively, for non-, low-, and medium-plastic soils. These results indicate that strong WGT–clay interaction existed for non-plastic soil, while a weak WGT–clay interaction exists for other soil. Furthermore, FE analysis yields lower values of factor of safety than the LE analysis. The safety factor values computed from Slope/W are in excellent agreement with analytical results of LE method than Slide software. In conclusion, FEM is found to be more reliable for soil–structure interaction phenomenon which involves complex stress–strain behaviors.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article.
References
Holtz RD, Shang JQ, Bergado DT (2001) Soil improvement. Geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering handbook. Springer, Boston, pp 429–462
Pinto MIM (2003) Applications of geosynthetics for soil reinforcement. Proc Inst Civ Eng Gr Improv 7:61–72. https://doi.org/10.1680/grim.2003.7.2.61
Rowe RK, Taechakumthorn C (2011) Design of reinforced embankments on soft clay deposits considering the viscosity of both foundation and reinforcement. Geotext Geomembr 29:448–461
Jewell RA (1996) Soil reinforcement with geotextiles
Koernel RM (2005) Design with geosynthetics, 5th edn. Prentice Hall, New Jersey
Hawk B, Wu JTH, Wu JTH (2008) Investigating failure of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil wall in black hawk, colorado. In: Presented at the sixth international conference on case histories in geotechnical engineering, Arlington, VA. pp 0–12
Shukla SK, Sivakugan N, Das BM (2011) A state-of-the-art review of geosynthetic-reinforced slopes. Int J Geotech Eng 5:17–32. https://doi.org/10.3328/IJGE.2011.05.01.17-32
Wu H, Yao C, Li C et al (2020) Review of application and innovation of geotextiles in geotechnical engineering. Materials (Basel) 13:1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/MA13071774
Alibolandi M, Moayed RZ (2015) Liquefaction potential of reinforced silty sands. Int J Civ Eng 13:195–202. https://doi.org/10.22068/IJCE.13.3.195
Talamkhani S, Naeini SA (2021) The undrained shear behavior of reinforced clayey sand. Geotech Geol Eng 39:265–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-020-01490-4
Hassan W, Ahmad M, Farooq A et al (2017) Correlation of maximum laboratory dry density and optimum moisture content of soil with soil parameters. NFC-IEFR J Eng Sci Res 5:1–6. https://doi.org/10.24081/nijesr.2016.1.0003
Abu-Farsakh M, Coronei J, Tao M (2007) Effect of soil moisture content and dry density on cohesive soil-geosynthetic interactions using large direct shear tests. J Mater Civ Eng 19:540–549. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0899-1561(2007)19
Chen X, Zhang J, Li Z (2014) Shear behaviour of a geogrid-reinforced coarse-grained soil based on large-scale triaxial tests. Geotext Geomembr 42:312–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2014.05.004
Denine S, Della N, Muhammed RD et al (2016) Effect of geotextile reinforcement on shear strength of sandy soil: laboratory study. Stud Geotech Mech 38:3–13. https://doi.org/10.1515/sgem-2016-0026
Parihar NS, Shukla RP (2015) Unconfined compressive strength of geotextile sheets reinforced soil. Int J Earth Sci Eng 8:1379–1385
Naeini SA, Gholampoor N (2014) Cyclic behaviour of dry silty sand reinforced with a geotextile. Geotext Geomembr 42:611–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2014.10.003
Consoli NC, Vendruscolo MA, Fonini A, Rosa FD (2009) Fiber reinforcement effects on sand considering a wide cementation range. Geotext Geomembr 27:196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2008.11.005
Liu J, Feng Q, Wang Y et al (2017) The effect of polymer-fiber stabilization on the unconfined compressive strength and shear strength of sand. Adv Mater Sci Eng 2017:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2370763
Hamidi A, Hooresfand M (2013) Effect of fiber reinforcement on triaxial shear behavior of cement treated sand. Geotext Geomembr 36:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2012.10.005
Plácido R, Portelinha FHM, Futai MM (2018) Field and laboratory time-dependent behaviors of geotextiles in reinforced soil walls. Geosynth Int 25:215–229. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgein.18.00003
Latha GM, Murthy VS (2007) Effects of reinforcement form on the behavior of geosynthetic reinforced sand. Geotext Geomembr 25:23–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2006.09.002
Naeini SA, Khalaj M, Izadi E (2013) Interfacial shear strength of silty sand-geogrid composite. Proc Inst Civ Eng Geotech Eng 166:67–75. https://doi.org/10.1680/geng.10.00118
Nguyen MD, Yang KH, Lee SH et al (2013) Behavior of nonwoven-geotextile-reinforced sand and mobilization of reinforcement strain under triaxial compression. Geosynth Int 20:207–225. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.13.00012
Alshameri B, Madun A, Bakar I (2017) Assessment on the effect of fine content and moisture content towards shear strength. Geotech Eng J SEAGS AGSSEA 48:76–86
Alshameri B, Madun A, Bakar I (2017) Comparison of the effect of fine content and density towards the shear strength parameters. Geotech Eng J SEAGS AGSSEA 48:104–110
Alshameri B (2020) Maximum dry density of sand–kaolin mixtures predicted by using fine content and specific gravity. SN Appl Sci 2:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-03481-9
Al-Subari L, Hanafi M, Ekinci A (2020) Effect of geosynthetic reinforcement on the bearing capacity of strip footing on sandy soil. SN Appl Sci 2:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-03261-5
Badakhshan E, Noorzad A (2017) Effect of footing shape and load eccentricity on behavior of geosynthetic reinforced sand bed. Geotext Geomembr 45:58–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2016.11.007
Dastpak P, Abrishami S, Sharifi S, Tabaroei A (2020) Experimental study on the behavior of eccentrically loaded circular footing model resting on reinforced sand. Geotext Geomembr 48:647–654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2020.03.009
Mudgal A, Sarkar R, Shrivastava AK (2018) Influence of geotextiles in enhancing the shear strength of Yamuna sand. Int J Appl Eng Res 13:10733–10740
Carlos DM, Pinho-lopes M, Lopes ML (2016) Effect of geosynthetic reinforcement inclusion on the strength parameters and bearing ratio of a fine soil. Procedia Eng 143:34–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.005
Malik ZB, Alshameri B, Jamil SM, Umar D (2021) Experimental and numerical modeling of bearing capacity of foundations on soft clay stabilized with granular material. Int J Geosynth Gr Eng. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-021-00334-2
Portelinha FHM, Bueno BS, Zornberg JG (2013) Performance of nonwoven geotextile-reinforced walls under wetting conditions: laboratory and field investigations. Geosynth Int 20:90–104. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.13.00004
Shukla RP, Parihar NS, Gupta AK (2016) The effect of geotextiles on low plastic sandy clay. In: 6th Asian regional conference on geosynthetics - geosynthetics for infrastructure development, 8-11 November, New Delhi, India. pp 251–259
Karakan E (2018) Factors effecting the shear strength of geotextile reinforced compacted clays. Deu Muhendis Fak Fen Muhendis 20:725–742. https://doi.org/10.21205/deufmd.2018206057
Jayawardane VS, Anggraini V, Li-Shen AT et al (2020) Strength enhancement of geotextile-reinforced fly-ash-based geopolymer stabilized residual soil. Int J Geosynth Gr Eng 6:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-020-00233-y
Jahandari S, Saberian M, Zivari F et al (2019) Experimental study of the effects of curing time on geotechnical properties of stabilized clay with lime and geogrid. Int J Geotech Eng 13:172–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/19386362.2017.1329259
Jahandari S, Mojtahedi SF, Zivari F et al (2020) The impact of long-term curing period on the mechanical features of lime-geogrid treated soils. Geomech Geoengin. https://doi.org/10.1080/17486025.2020.1739753
Vajrala RK, Yenigalla RV (2019) Comparitive study on effect of diverse geosynthetics and their spacing on soft clayey soil. Int J Recent Technol Eng 8:1480–1484
Karim HH, Samueel ZW, Jassem AH (2020) Behaviour of soft clayey soil improved by fly ash and geogrid under cyclic loading. Civ Eng J 6:225–237. https://doi.org/10.28991/cej-2020-03091466
Raja MNA, Shukla SK (2021) Experimental study on repeatedly loaded foundation soil strengthened by wraparound geosynthetic reinforcement technique. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 13:899–911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2021.02.001
Bergado DT, Teerawattanasuk C (2008) 2D and 3D numerical simulations of reinforced embankments on soft ground. Geotext Geomembr 26:39–55
Briançon L, Villard P (2008) Design of geosynthetic-reinforced platforms spanning localized sinkholes. Geotext Geomembr 26:416–428
Liu SY, Shao LT, Li HJ (2015) Slope stability analysis using the limit equilibrium method and two finite element methods. Comput Geotech 63:291–298
Zheng H, Liu DF, Li C (2005) Slope stability analysis based on elasto-plastic finite element method. Int J Numer Methods Eng 64:1871–1888
Huang YH (2014) Slope stability analysis by the limit equilibrium method: Fundamentals and methods. American Society of Civil Engineers
Li D-Q, Xiao T, Cao Z-J et al (2016) Efficient and consistent reliability analysis of soil slope stability using both limit equilibrium analysis and finite element analysis. Appl Math Model 40:5216–5229
Cheng YM, Lansivaara T, Wei WB (2007) Two-dimensional slope stability analysis by limit equilibrium and strength reduction methods. Comput Geotech 34:137–150
Griffiths DV, Lane PA (1999) Slope stability analysis by finite elements. Geotechnique 49:387–403
Bergado DT, Long PV, Murthy BRS (2002) A case study of geotextile-reinforced embankment on soft ground. Geotext Geomembr 20:343–365
Olia ASR, Oliaei M, Heidarzadeh H (2021) Performance of ground anchored walls subjected to dynamic and pseudo-static loading. Civ Eng J 7:974–987. https://doi.org/10.28991/cej-2021-03091703
Koca TK, Koca MY (2020) Comparative analyses of finite element and limit-equilibrium methods for heavily fractured rock slopes. J Earth Syst Sci 129:1–13
Hammah RE, Yacoub TE, Corkum BC, Curran JH (2005) The shear strength reduction method for the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion. In: American rock mechanics association - 40th US rock mechanics symposium, ALASKA ROCKS 2005: rock mechanics for energy, mineral and infrastructure development in the northern regions
Kanungo DP, Pain A, Sharma S (2013) Finite element modeling approach to assess the stability of debris and rock slopes: a case study from the Indian Himalayas. Nat Hazards 69:1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0680-4
Griffiths DV, Lane PA (2001) Slope stability analysis by finite elements. Géotechnique 51:653–654. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.51.7.653.51390
Hinchberger SD, Rowe RK (2003) Geosynthetic reinforced embankments on soft clay foundations: predicting reinforcement strains at failure. Geotext Geomembr 21:151–175
Alemdag S, Kaya A, Karadag M et al (2015) Utilization of the limit equilibrium and finite element methods for the stability analysis of the slope debris: an example of the Kalebasi District (NE Turkey). J Afr Earth Sci 106:134–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.03.010
Alkasawneh W, Husein Malkawi AI, Nusairat JH, Albataineh N (2008) A comparative study of various commercially available programs in slope stability analysis. Comput Geotech 35:387–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2007.06.009
Salmasi F, Norouzi R, Abraham J et al (2020) Effect of inclined clay core on embankment dam seepage and stability through LEM and FEM. Geotech Geol Eng 38:6571–6586
Senapati S, Senapati S (2021) Comparison of LEM and FEM based solution for slope stability analysis using soilworks. In: Advances in Sustainable Construction Materials 2020, vol 124. p 341
Cheng YM, Länsivaara T, Wei WB (2008) Reply to “Comments on’Two-dimensional slope stability analysis by limit equilibrium and strength reduction methods’ by YM Cheng, T. Länsivaara and WB Wei”, by J. Bojorque, G. DeRoeck J Maertens Comput Geotech 35:309–311
ASTM D5199-12 (2019) Standard test method for measuring the nominal thickness of geosynthetics. ASTM Int West Conshohocken, PA. www.astm.org
ASTM D5261-10 (2018) Standard test method for measuring mass per unit area of geotextiles. ASTM Int West Conshohocken, PA. www.astm.org
ASTM D 4595-17 (2017) Standard test method for tensile properties of geotextiles by the wide-width strip method. ASTM Int West Conshohocken, PA. www.astm.org
ASTM D2850-15 (2015) Standard test method for unconsolidated-undrained triaxial compression test on cohesive soils. ASTM Int West Conshohocken, PA. www.astm.org
Singh HP (2012) Effects of geogrid sheet on strength and stiffness of loose. Int J Innov Res Sci Eng Technol 2:5290–5299
Haeri SM, Noorzad R, Oskoorouchi AM (2000) Effect of geotextile reinforcement on the mechanical behavior of sand. Geotext Geomembr 18:385–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-1144(00)00005-4
Noorzad R, Mirmoradi SH (2010) Laboratory evaluation of the behavior of a geotextile reinforced clay. Geotext Geomembr 28:386–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2009.12.002
Tolooiyan A, Abustan I, Selamat MR, Ghaffari S (2009) A comprehensive method for analyzing the effect of geotextile layers on embankment stability. Geotext Geomembr 27:399–405
Yang KH, Nguyen MD, Yalew WM et al (2016) Behavior of geotextile-reinforced clay in consolidated-undrained tests: reinterpretation of porewater pressure parameters. J Geoengin 11:45–57. https://doi.org/10.6310/jog.2016.11(2).1
Fabian K, Fourie A (1986) Performance of geotextile-reinforced clay samples in undrained triaxial tests. Geotext Geomembr 4:53–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/0266-1144(86)90036-1
Yang K-H, Yalew WM, Nguyen MD (2016) Behavior of geotextile-reinforced clay with a coarse material sandwich technique under unconsolidated-undrained triaxial compression. Int J Geomech 16:04015083. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)gm.1943-5622.0000611
Ingold TS, Miller KS (1982) The performance of impermeable and permeable reinforcement in clay subject to undrained loading. Q J Eng Geol 15:201–208. https://doi.org/10.1144/gsl.qjeg.1982.015.03.03
Unnikrishnan N, Rajagopal K, Krishnaswamy NR (2002) Behaviour of reinforced clay under monotonic and cyclic loading. Geotext Geomembr 20:117–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-1144(02)00003-1
Asakereh A, Tafreshi SNM (2007) Strength evaluation of wet reinforced silty sand by triaxial test. Int J Civ Eng 5:273–284
Guido VA, Chang DK, Sweeney MA (1986) Comparison of geogrid and geotextile reinforced earth slabs. Can Geotech J 23:435–440. https://doi.org/10.1139/t86-073
Nair AM, Latha GM (2014) Large diameter triaxial tests on geosynthetic-reinforced granular subbases. J Mater Civ Eng 27:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001088
Eldesouky HM, Morsy MM, Mansour MF (2016) Fiber-reinforced sand strength and dilation characteristics. Ain Shams Eng J 7:517–526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2015.06.003
Jewell RA, Milligan GWE, Sarsby RW, Dubois D (1984) Interaction between soil and geogrids. In: Proceedings of symposium on polymer grid reinforcement in civil engineering, London, no 1.3. pp 18–30
Sreelakshmi KR, Vasudevan AK (2021) Study on performance of geotextile reinforced soils using triaxial compression test. In: Patel S, Solanki CH, Reddy KR, Shukla SK (eds) BT - proceedings of the indian geotechnical conference 2019. Springer, Singapore. pp 189–200
Hassan W, Kanwal M, Nawaz MN, Shahzad A (2021) A comparative study on shear strength characteristics of geotextile reinforced soils. In: Hodja Akhmet Yassawi 4th international conference on scientific research, February 12–13. Ankara, Turkey
Schlosser F, Long N-T (1974) Recent results of french research on reinforced earth. J Constr Div 100:223–237. https://doi.org/10.1061/jcceaz.0000429
Yang Z, Singh A (1974) Strength and deformation characteristics of reinforced sand. In: International meeting on water resources engineering Los, Angeles, CA
Yang Z (1972) Strength and deformation characteristics of reinforced sand. PhD. Thesis, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Iwamoto MK (2014) Observations from load tests on geosynthetic reinforced soil. Master Thesis, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, USA
Namjoo AM, Soltani F, Toufigh V (2021) Effects of moisture on the mechanical behavior of sand–geogrid: an experimental investigation. Int J Geosynth Gr Eng 7:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40891-020-00243-w
Fourie AB, Fabian KJ (1987) Laboratory determination of clay-geotextile interaction. Geotext Geomembr 6:275–294. https://doi.org/10.1016/0266-1144(87)90009-4
Luo N, Bathurst RJ, Javankhoshdel S (2016) Probabilistic stability analysis of simple reinforced slopes by finite element method. Comput Geotech 77:45–55
Wei WB, Cheng YM (2010) Soil nailed slope by strength reduction and limit equilibrium methods. Comput Geotech 37:602–618
Nasvi MCM, Krishnya S (2019) Stability analysis of Colombo-Katunayake Expressway (CKE) using finite element and limit equilibrium methods. Indian Geotech J 49:620–634
Acknowledgements
Not applicable.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.
Consent of publication
The work titled “Experimental study on shear strength behavior and numerical study on geosynthetic-reinforced cohesive soil slope” has not been published elsewhere, in part, or in another form.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Hassan, W., Alshameri, B., Nawaz, M.N. et al. Experimental study on shear strength behavior and numerical study on geosynthetic-reinforced cohesive soil slope. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 7, 349 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-022-00945-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-022-00945-2