Effects of Geocell Confinement on Strength and Deformation Behavior of Gravel
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 2
Abstract
In past years, railroad transportation has been of growing interest because of its efficiency and advancement in railway technologies. However, many issues arise because of the variability in subsurface conditions along the sizeable lengths of track that exist. One very important issue is the need for significant upkeep and maintenance for railways passing over areas of poor soil conditions as a result of continuous deformation and a lack of stiffness from the foundation. One general solution for lack of substructure integrity has been confinement, applied through a variety of reinforcement types, including geocell. To investigate the effectiveness of geocell confinement on substructure integrity, a series of embankment model tests with different configurations of geocell placement (one layer and two layers of geocell) were constructed and loaded monotonically and cyclically for comparison with unreinforced, control tests. On the completion of these tests, the model embankments were simulated numerically using finite-element procedures. The results, which matched reasonably well, were then used as validation for a parametric study, observing the effects of less competent geocell material, gravel, and foundation conditions and their implications. The tests and numerical simulations demonstrate that geocell confinement effectively increased stiffness and strength of a gravel embankment while reducing vertical settlement and lateral spreading. Additionally, the parametric study shows that the use of geocell provides a composite mattressing effect that distributes subgrade stress more uniformly than without reinforcement, increasing bearing capacity and reducing settlement, especially on soft foundations. The results suggested that in some site conditions, use of geocell might be an economical alternative to frequent maintenance and/or lower train speeds.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge information provided by Dr. Allan Zarembski of Zeta Tech; Steve Chrismer, Principal Engineer, Track Geometry and Roadbed Improvement of Amtrak; and PRS Mediterranean for partial support of this study. Additionally, the authors thank the reviewers for very useful, constructive, and thoughtful comments on the submission.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 2 • February 2013
Pages: 340 - 352
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 12, 2011
Accepted: Apr 24, 2012
Published online: Apr 26, 2012
Published in print: Feb 1, 2013
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