LOAD RESPONSE OF REINFORCED SIDE SLOPES AND EMBANKMENTS

Abstract

This dissertation is concerned with the stability of reinforced soil embankments and slopes. The study was carried out on reinforced embankments subjected to a strip loading aligned parallel to the slope crest. Effect of both vertical and horizontal loads and different cases of loading were considered. Different embankments ge-ometries; spacing between reinforcements in vertical, horizontal and transverse directions; embankment heights; degrees of slope; and, reinforcing element lengths were studied. The tensile force distributions in the reinforcing elements, displacements of the slope facing elements, displacements. at the foundation-embankment interface and the change of both stresses and strains within the soil mass were also investigated. A total of five models including fifty experiments were tested up to failure. The results of these tests were used to investigate the improvements in the load carrying capacity of the embankment due to the presence of reinforcement and to verify the finite element modelling. The results from the finite element model showed good agreement with those obtained from the experimental work. Therefore, an extensive analytical parametric study for all the parameters pertaining to reinforced soil embankments was conducted to examine the behaviour of the structure. Design equation for predicting the maximum tensile