Repeated Load Tests on Geocell Reinforced Sand Subgrades

In this research, results from a series of large scale dynamic model tests on geocell reinforced and unreinforced homogeneous sand beds are presented. The placement density of sand in all the tests was maintained at 70%. The loading was applied through a circular steel plate which replicates the load application from a passenger car. A single axle wheel load of 40 kN was assumed on the pavement surface of which 7 kN was calculated to be applied on the subgrade layer. The influence of the width and height of the geocell reinforcement on the cyclic behavior of the loading system was studied and the performance improvement in terms of traffic benefit ratios and cumulative plastic deformations/rutting was determined. A traffic benefit ratio was observed to be as high as 45 for the case of geocell size h/D=1, b/D=4 at 10% plate settlement. The cumulative permanent deformations were reduced by 8 fold for the same case against the unreinforced case at 5% plate settlement