Laboratory investigation of bearing capacity behavior of strip footing on geogrid-reinforced sand slope

This paper presents the results of laboratory model tests on the bearing capacity behavior of a strip footing on a geogrid-reinforced earth slope. A wide range of boundary conditions, including unreinforced cases, was tested by varying parameters such as geogrid length, number of geogrid layers, vertical spacing and depth to topmost layer of geogrid. The results were then analyzed to establish both qualitative and quantitative relationships between the bearing capacity and the geogrid parameters. A series of finite element analyses was additionally performed on a prototype slope to ascertain the validity of the findings from the laboratory model tests and to supplement the results of the model tests. The results indicate that the bearing capacity of strip footings on sloping ground can be significantly increased by the inclusion of layers of geogrid in the ground, and that the magnitude of bearing capacity increase depends greatly on the geogrid distribution. On the basis of the results of the laboratory model tests and the finite element analyses, critical values of the geogrid parameters for maximum reinforcing effect are suggested. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.