Stability Analysis of Reinforced Embankments on Soft Soils

Abstract

Recent advances in polymeric materials have opened up a new alternative of providing additional stability to embankments on soft soils by incorporating polymeric reinforcement in the form of sheet or grid at the base of embankments. A new approach to the analysis of rotational stability of reinforced embankments, based on the work of Low for unreinforced embankments, is presented in the paper. The equation for required reinforcement force for an arbitrary slip circle is set up. From this, the solutions for center of critical slip circle and maximum reinforcement force are obtained in the form of closed-form equations. The design of wide-crested reinforced embankments can be carried out quickly, using the equations and tabular values presented herein.