Abstract
In practice, geosynthetic laid beneath the foundation is a common reinforcement technique to increase the bearing capacity of foundation. In this study, the geosynthetic with both ends are fixed with the soil has been investigated in order that the bearing capacity is improved and at the same time the settlement can be reduced. For this purpose, 2D model tests under 1g condition and 3D centrifuge model tests have been carried out as well as the corresponding non-linear FEM analyses. In the 2D model tests, several depths of the reinforcement have been tested under both concentric and eccentric loads. According to the 2D model test and simulation, we found that the appropriate depth of the reinforcement is not too deep. The 3D centrifuge model test and simulation were also conducted in order to confirm the reinforcing effect under actual stress condition. The results under the 3D model test also revealed that the bearing capacity increased significantly when reinforcing the ground in the same length or a little larger than the width of the foundation with an appropriate depth. The numerical simulation has shown a similar result as found in the observations.
