Performance of fixed geosynthetic technique of GRPS embankment

Geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported （GRPS） embankment has been increasingly constructed in a large number of regions and for a wide range of projects in the past decades. However, many disadvantages are exposed through a lot of applications on conventional technique of GRPS embankment （called CT embankment）, i.e., intolerable settlement and lateral displacement, low geosynthetic efficiency, etc. In view of these disadvantages, the fixed geosynthetic technique of GRPS embankment （called FGT embankment） is developed in this work. In this system, the geosynthetic is fixed on the pile head by the steel bar fulcrum and concrete fixed top. The principles and construction techniques involved in the FGT embankment are described firstly. Then, the numerical analysis method and two-stage analysis method are used to study the performance of FGT embankment, respectively. It is shown that the FGT embankment can provide a better improvement technique to construct a high embankment over soft ground.

Mechanical analysis of fixed geosynthetic technique of GRPS embankment

To overcome the deficiencies of conventional geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported (GRPS) embankment, a new improvement technique, fixed geosynthetic technique of GRPS embankment (FGT embankment), was developed and introduced. Based on the discussion about the load transfer mechanism of FGT embankment, a simplified check method of the requirement of geosynthetic tensile strength and a mechanical model of the FGT embankment were proposed. Two conditions, the pile cap and pile beam conditions are considered in the mechanical model. The finite difference method is used to solve the mechanical model owing to the complexity of the differential equations and the soil strata. Then, the numerical procedure is programmed. Finally, a field test is conducted to verify the mechanical model and the calculated results are in good agreement with field measured data.