Geogrid reinforcement of soft clay deposits

In this study, the bearing capacity and settlement behavior of shallow foundations on a natural clay reinforced with geogrid layers were investigated using a large scale field tests. Circular, rigid model foundations with the diameters of 30cm, 45cm, 60cm and 90cm were used in the tests. Geogrids used as reinforcement materials were placed in granular fill bed compacted over the natural clay soil. The effects of parameters such as thickness of the granular fill layer, the location of the first layer of reinforcement, the vertical spacing of reinforcement layers and the number of reinforcement layers on bearing capacity and settlement were investigated in the tests. After field tests, numerical analyses were carried out with finite element based two and three dimensional software PLAXIS and the results obtained were compared with experimental results. Then, scale effect analyses with foundation sizes were conducted and some statistical relations were suggested.