GEOTEXTILE BEHAVIOR UNDER EMBANKMEN ON SOFT GROUND IMPROVED WITH DEEP CEMENT MIXING COLUMNS

Abstract

In soft ground improvement, deep cement mixing columns and geotextiles were typically combined to reinforce the soft ground in order to reduce settlement, increase load capacity and stabilize the embankment. This solution is widely applied in soft soil treatment techniques around the world. The arching effect is a common phenomenon in embankment on soft ground reinforced with deep cement mixing columns due to the difference in stiffness between the columns and the surrounding ground. This is a factor that directly affects the optimization problem in the design of the distance and size of deep cement mixing columns. Therefore, the calculation theory and analysis of the arching effect is still the interesting topic which has been attended by many researchs in recent years. This study evaluates and analyzes the behavior of geotextiles under the embankment load on soft ground improved with deep cement mixing columns, in which the transmission mechanism of the ground soil to the deep cement mixing columns is focused. A three-dimensional (3D) numerical model will be developed and proposed to analyze the influence of geotextiles on the force transmission mechanism in the embankment. The results of numerical model analysis will be verified through the construction of a bridgehead road in Hertsby, Finland. Parameters of geotextiles affecting the stress distribution in the background are also investigated in this paper.