Response of Infinite Beams on Geosynthetic-Reinforced Granular Bed over Soft Soil with Stone Columns under Moving Loads

Abstract

This paper pertains to the development of a simplified model for an infinite beam subjected to a concentrated load moving with constant velocity and resting on geosynthetic-reinforced granular bed over soft soil improved with stone columns. The granular fill has been modeled as a Pasternak shear layer while naturally occurring saturated soft soil has been idealized by a Kelvin-Voigt model, stone columns by Winkler springs, and geosynthetic as rough elastic membrane. Nonlinear behavior of granular fill, stone columns, and the soft soil has been represented by means of hyperbolic constitutive relationships. An iterative finite difference scheme has been adopted for obtaining the system response by employing the Gauss-Seidel technique. The system response has not been found to be sensitive at lower velocities of the applied load. Damping has been found to influence the response at higher velocities. Ultimate shear resistance of granular fill has a negligible effect on the response of the system.