Effect of number of layers on coir geotextile reinforced sand under cyclic loading

Abstract The present investigation is on the behavior of coir geotextile-reinforced sandy soil foundations and to study the effect of different parameters contributing to their performance using laboratory model tests. The parameters investigated in this study included top layer spacing, number of reinforcement layers and vertical spacing between layers. The effect of coir geotextile reinforcement on the vertical stress distribution in the sand and the strain distribution along the reinforcement were also investigated. The test results established the potential benefit of using coir geotextile-reinforced sand foundations. The test results also showed that the reinforcement configuration/layout has a significant effect on the behavior of reinforced sand foundation. With two or more layers of reinforcement, the settlement can be reduced at all footing pressure levels. The inclusion of reinforcement can redistribute the applied footing load to a more uniform pattern, hence reducing the stress concentration, which will result reduced settlement