Numerical Investigation of Wraparound Geotextile Reinforcement Technique for Strengthening Foundation Soil

Abstract

In the recent past, geotextile reinforcement with wraparound ends has been recommended to strengthen foundation soil to enhance the effectiveness of using the reinforcement. This study investigated the effects of reinforcement geometrical parameters—namely, land width occupied by reinforcement and lap length of the ends of reinforcement, which were not investigated in detail in the past—on the bearing capacity of the foundation soil. The soil considered was sandy in three different states of denseness, defined in terms of relative density as 50, 70, and 90%. The numerical model was developed using the typical elements in PLAXIS-3D software. The model was used to critically analyze the reinforcing mechanisms for improved bearing capacity caused by wraparound ends. The results showed that the bearing capacity increased by approximately 120% when reinforced with a geotextile reinforcement using the wraparound reinforcement technique, whereas this improvement was approximately 45% with the reinforcement only without wraparound ends. It was also found that the wraparound technique can be highly beneficial in a location of limited land width for foundation construction.