Nonlinear Equation for Predicting the Settlement of Reinforced Soil Foundations
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 5
Abstract
A reinforced soil foundation (RSF) consists of layers of geosynthetic reinforcement and compacted granular fill material. The RSF approach is a fast, sustainable, and economical alternative to shallow foundation design. This paper presents the development of a prediction equation for estimating the settlement of footings placed on reinforced soil. The parameters that are considered in the prediction equation include footing geometry (width and length), soil friction angle and cohesion, reinforcement characteristics (stiffness, spacing, length, and number of reinforcement layers), and applied static loads from 50 to 600 kPa. For the prediction equation development, a parametric study was first conducted using a validated finite difference numerical model. The results of the parametric study were then used to conduct a regression analysis to develop the prediction equation for estimating the maximum settlement of RSF. The equation was validated using three case studies. The developed prediction equation will be useful for practitioners in preliminary RSF design.
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Acknowledgments
Support of this study was provided by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under Contract No. DTFH6114C00012. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Michael Adams, Khalid Mohamed, and Naser M. Abu-Hejleh of the FHWA, who provided valuable input in the research. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the FHWA.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 5 • May 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 26, 2018
Accepted: Oct 4, 2018
Published online: Feb 18, 2019
Published in print: May 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jul 18, 2019
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