Scale effect on the behavior of circular footing on geogrid-reinforced sand using numerical analysis

Abstract

Using plate load test to evaluate the scale effects of shallow foundation bearing capacity ongeogrid-reinforced sand is expensive because large boxes need to be built, and the devices toapply the loads to the reinforced soil are complex. Consequently, the finite element method is analternative to investigate this phenomenon. In this study, a series of 3D axi-symmetry finiteelement models were developed to study the scale effect on the bearing capacity of circularfootings resting on geogrid-reinforced sand. First, a 100 mm-diameter circular foundation supportedby geogrid-reinforced sand was simulated in order to validate the finite element modelwith laboratory tests. Subsequently, different models were made by increasing the diameter of thefoundation and the diameter of the geogrid in the same proportion. Modelling results indicatedthat as the foundation diameter increased, the bearing capacity of unreinforced and reinforced soildecreased. Likewise, the benefit obtained from the reinforcement was less when the model sizewas increased.