FUNDAMENTAL STUDY ON VISUALIZATION OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR AND ANALYSIS OF THE BEARING CAPACITY OF A GEOGRID-REINFORCED FOUNDATION

Abstract

To investigate the bearing capacity mechanism of a geogrid-reinforced foundation, the physical modeling technique of visualization using transparent soil was examined. Quartz glass and mixed mineral oil were used for the transparent soil. A polyethylene net was used for the geogrid. The movements of the soil and the geogrid under a strip loading were captured using camera and analyzed through particle tracking velocimetry. The developed system was validated for the visualization of soil and geogrid deformation under loading on both unreinforced and reinforced foundations. Based on the experimental results, an analysis method that could evaluate the reinforcement effects of the geogrid on the overburden effect was investigated. It was clarified that the proposed analytical formula can calculate an ultimate load and that considering of geogrid tension effect and rigidity of geogrid should be considered to predict it with higher accuracy.