Abstract
This paper presents an experimental study on the performance of 6m high grid reinforced embankments, subjected to additional loading after construction. Additinal loading was applied by a surcharge of a 3m high filling, then submerging the structure in water, then rapidly lowering the water level outside the embankment.
The embankments were constructed with 1:1 slope using silty sand and instruments were used to monitor the deformation of the embankments as well as strain levels in the polymer grids.
On the basis of the mesured grid strain distribution during loading, the current design methods, such as the limit equilibirium method, and the critical safety factor where the reinforcement strains largely increase, were evaluated.
