Seismic response analysis of GRPS embankment under oblique incident P wave

In order to investigate the seismic performance of geosynthetic reinforced and pile supported(GRPS) embankment under seismic loads, an input method for three-dimensional oblique incidence of P wave was proposed. This method is based on the explicit finite element method while considering the viscous-spring artificial boundary(VSAB) condition. Using the proposed method, a numerical study was conducted, and the influence of oblique incidence on the seismic response of GRPS embankment under the oblique incident P waves was analyzed. The results indicate that in comparison with vertical incidence, the oblique incidence can significantly increase the displacement, velocity and acceleration of key locations in the GRPS embankment. The existence of geosynthetics can alleviate the impact of seismic load on the response of the embankment to a certain degree. Moreover, the number of reinforcement layers and modulus of geogrid also greatly influence the seismic performance of GRPS embankment.

Field study on performance of new technique of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment at bridge approach

Vehicle bumps at a bridge approach caused by the differential settlement between a bridge and an adjacent backfill embankment are one of the most difficult problems in geotechnical engineering. Large vehicle bumps make drivers uncomfortable and cause large impact loads on vehicles and the bridge abutment. A new ground-improvement technique called fixed-geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment(FGT embankment) was developed and used to alleviate vehicle bumps at a trial bridge-approach site located in central China. To distribute the differential settlement between the bridge and adjacent backfill embankment over a long transition zone, the following three techniques were used at the trial bridge-approach site:(a) the FGT embankment,(b) conventional geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported embankment(CT embankment), and(c) geosynthetic-reinforced embankment without piles(GR embankment). The performance of all three techniques in the field trial was investigated by field measurements involving earth pressure cells, geosynthetic deformation sensors, and settlement gauges. The FGT and CT embankments exhibited better performance than the GR embankment. Compared with the CT embankment, the FGT embankment was more effective at ground improvement. At an elevation of 4.0 m from the base of the embankment, the pressures below the geosynthetic were smaller than those above the geosynthetic at the closest measurement point. The difference between the pressures between above and below the geosynthetic tended to increase with the embankment height.