Geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported (GRPS) embankment systems have been emerged as an effective alternative successfully adopted worldwide to solve many geotechical problems. In the GRPS embankment system, a reinforced earth platform was lying above the piles and includes one or more layers of geosynthetics at the base of the embankment. The geosynsthetic reinforcement carries the lateral thrust from the embankment, creates a stiffened fill platform to enhance the load transfer from the soil to the piles, and reduce the differential settlement between pile caps. A numerical study was conducted to investigate the tension distribution of the geosynethic reinforcement in the GRPS embankment. Four influence factors were investigated, which included the elastic modulus of piles, the elastic modulus of soft soil, the tensile stiffness of geosynthetic reinforcement, and the number of geosynthetic layers. Numerical results suggested these four factors have different influence on the tension distribution and the maximum tension in the geosynthetic reinforcement.
Influence of Repeated Loading and Geosynthetic Reinforcement on Base Course Thickness over Soft Soil