Field Observations and Analysis of the Subgrade Response Beneath GRCS Embankments at the Council Bluffs Interchange System
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Volume 146, Issue 5
Abstract
Geosynthetic-reinforced column-supported (GRCS) embankments partially transfer fill loads through stiff vertical elements to competent ground at depth, reducing the embankment stress applied to weaker, more compressible soil. Previous studies have focused on load transfer via soil arching and engagement of geosynthetic reinforcement above the columns. The role of the subgrade response to system efficacy—including the influence of the downdrag mechanism to load transfer—has received less attention. Vertical deformations were measured with settlement plates and multipoint borehole extensometers beneath full-scale GRCS embankments constructed with drilled-displacement columns at the Council Bluffs Interchange System (CBIS). The subgrade response was analyzed via the load-displacement-compatibility (LDC) method in combination with measured subsurface vertical deformations, a proxy for load transfer at depth, and measured values of interface friction from full-scale column load tests. A stiff upper layer of overconsolidated clay transferred embankment stresses imparted at the base of the fill to the columns via downdrag, shielding the underlying softer clay. This mechanism limited the efficacy of the geosynthetic reinforcement. Stiff shallow clay and crust that partially adheres to the columns via interface friction at shallow depths can effectively function like a subsurface load transfer platform. Based on these observations a design sequence to determine the necessity of geosynthetic reinforcement and to optimize column spacing—using familiar GRCS concepts—is recommended.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Dave Dorsett and Steve Megivern from Iowa DOT for allowing the authors access to the field performance data in support of this work. The authors also acknowledge the support of Emad Farouz and CH2M Hill (now Jacobs) for their support and comments during this research. They greatly acknowledge the support and cooperation of Steve Darnell, Will Haasz, and Seth Pearlman of Menard Group USA, who installed the columns and instrumentation for load tests presented as part of this work. Partial funding for the junior author was made possible by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), and is greatly appreciated. The authors also thank the reviewers, whose helpful comments and suggestions improved this article.
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Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 146 • Issue 5 • May 2020
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©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Aug 29, 2018
Accepted: Oct 28, 2019
Published online: Mar 9, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 9, 2020
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