Discrete element modeling of strip footing on geogrid-reinforced soil

In this paper, unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced soil foundations were modeled by discrete element method and this performed under surface strip footing loads. The effects of horizontal position of geogrid, vertical position, thickness, number, confining pressure have been investigated on the footing settlement and propagation of tensile force along the geogrids. Also, interaction between rectangular tunnel and strip footing with and without presence of geogrid layer has been analyzed. Experimental results of the literature were used to validation of relationships between the numerically achieved footing pressure-settlement for foundations of reinforced and unreinforced soil. Models and micro input parameters which used in the numerical modelling of reinforced and unreinforced soil tunnel were similar to parameters which were used in soil foundations. Model dimension was 1000 mm* 600 mm. Normal and shear stiffness of soils were 5*105 and 2.5 *105 N/m, respectively. Normal and shear stiffness of geogrid were 1*109 and 1*109 N/m, respectively. Loading rate was 0.001 mm/sec. Micro input parameters used in numerical simulation gain by try and error. In addition of the quantitative tensile force propagation along the geogrids, the footing settlements were visualized. Due to collaboration of three layers of geogrid reinforcements the bearing capacity of the reinforced soil tunnel was greatly improved. In such practical reinforced soil formations, the qualitative displacement propagations of soil particles in the soil tunnel and the quantitative vertical displacement propagations along the soil layers/geogrids represented the geogrid reinforcing impacts too.