Abstract
The confined-reinforced earth (CRE) method was introduced in subgrade layer beneath a road pavement to reduce differential settlement between bridges or culverts and their approaches that is caused by large earthquakes. This method consists of granular material, geogrid layers and confining tie rods. In this study, the effect of the thickness of a pavement, which was simulated as overburden, on the CRE under differential settlement condition was investigated. The CRE was made on a fixed plate, which was simulated an abutment of a bridge, and a moveable plate, which was considered as an embankment to simulate settlement. The overburdens of 1, 2 and 4 kPa on the CRE were performed. It was found that the surface settlement distribution of the CRE and tensile strain in the geogrids increased with increasing overburden.
