Behavior of embedded strip footing on sand bed reinforced with multilayer geotextile with wraparound ends

This paper presents the results of load tests conducted in the laboratory on an embedded model strip footing resting on a reinforced dense sand bed. The reinforcement used was woven geotextile with wraparound ends, as well as without wraparound ends for investigating the benefits of providing wraparounds. The number of reinforcement layers varied from 1 to 5. The ratio of embedment depth of the footing to its width, called the embedment depth ratio, varied from 0 to 1. The effect of utilizing the wraparound ends with the reinforcement on the load-bearing capacity of the reinforced sand bed has been of special interest in this study. The experimental results arising from the study are compared with the numerical findings based on the finite-element analysis (FEA) carried out using the PLAXIS 2D software. The study shows a significant improvement in both the load-bearing capacity and the stiffness of the sand bed with increasing number of reinforcement layers, as well as with the provision of wraparound ends of the reinforcement. The numerical results follow the experimental results closely for lower settlement values. The graphical presentations of the results of our experimentation can be used as preliminary design guidelines for field applications with conditions similar to those considered in the present study. However, the results presented in this paper may require modifications suitably to account for the difference in the scale of laboratory and the field conditions while using them for practical applications