ANALYSIS OF REINFORCED EARTH EMBANKMENT

Abstract

The objective of this study is to find the suitability of finite element method for analysing reinforced embankment on sandy and clayey soil using MIDAS GTS NX modelling software, to carry out the objective, many finite element analysis were carried out on a prototype scale using a 2D 15-noded plane strain element utilizing the computer MIDAS GTS NX code. Then the slope inclination, geogrid spacing variation, vertical spacing of geogrid layer, load variation, and effect of PET and PP geogrid on the behaviour of reinforced sandy and clayey embankment on soil is determined. The length of the geogrid layers (L.) and the vertical spacing between geogrid layers are among the characteristics (S.), the vertical loading on the embankment, the height of embankment were investigated. The stability of a road embankment without reinforcing is examined first, then a series were conducted to study the influence of one parameter while the other parameters were kept stable. The addition of geogrid layers enhances the stability of the loose sand slope, according to numerical analysis of the data. It is also found that the layers of the geogrid become a barrier to the critical failure surface and shift the failure surface to the stronger one, thus increasing the factor of safety (FOS). It is noticed that by increasing the length of reinforcement and increasing the spacing between the reinforcement layers, the safety factor (FS) of the slope decreases with increase of the geogrid spacing.