Estimating the Bearing Capacity of a Square Footing on a Geogrid-Stabilised Granular Layer over Clay Using the Finite Element Method

Abstract

The bearing capacity of a square footing on an unstabilised and geogrid-stabilised granular layer over clay is estimated using finite element techniques in ABAQUS (a commercial finite element software). The model incorporates a range of soil parameters and layer thicknesses. The two-layered soil system in the model assumes a strong upper granular layer and a weak lower clay layer. The parametric results of the finite element analyses are used to develop design curves with dimensionless parameters in terms of linear gradient and the ratio of the undrained shear strength of clay to the effective vertical stress of the granular layer. The design curves are compared with the published results in the literature and found to be promising. The developed design curves are applied to estimate the minimum thickness of the granular layer and are compared with other existing methods. This application illustrates the simplicity of the proposed technique and reveals that the proposed approach yields a reasonable prediction for the bearing capacity when compared with other established methods.

Mathematical Modeling of a Corrugated Geogrid and Geocell Reinforced Flexible Pavement Base with Interlayer Shear Performance Analysis

“…Overall from this literature study, it is understood that [16] did not consider the axial loading effect on the bonding between the geogrid and pavement layer, [17] the long-term performance also needs to be evaluated for the proper analysis, [18] a field monitoring of a railway section reinforced with geosynthetics is needed, [19] the properties of the filling material in the geocell need to be further studied, [20] the development of standardized testing methods is necessary, [21] the load transfer mechanisms between the geosynthetic and pavement layers also need to be studied, [22] the vehicle speed increases and the reinforcing effect reduces in asphalt layer, [23] instability in any of the layers will cause the paving system to fail, and in [25] the effect of encasement is directly affected by the stiffness of the fabric and in [26] it is not possible to use it in actual calculations. In [27] the need to improve the system's longevity and dependability, [28] more testing in various scenarios was likely needed, [29] requirement for additional validation used more widely, [30] interference effect causes potential challenges in specific situations, requiring further research, [31] necessary to validate geocell reinforcement's wider efficacy.…”

“…Chua et al [17] presented ABAQUS finite element methods that were used to assess the bearing capacity of a square footing on an unstabilized and geogrid-stabilized granular layer over clay. The model took into account a range of soil properties and layer thicknesses.…”