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Effect of Reinforcement on Soil

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.55 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Effect of Reinforcement on Soil

1

Neeraj Singh Parihar, 2Rajesh Prasad Shukla and3Ashok Kumar Gupta

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, JUIT, Waknaghat, (H.P.), 173234. India
2.Department of Earthquake Engineering, IIT Roorkee, India, shuklarajesh4687@gmail.com
3.HOD, Department of Civil Engineering, JUIT, Waknaghat, (H.P.), 173234. India

Abstract
Increase in population with a tremendous growth rate has led
to scarcity of good land for construction and it has forced the
engineers to improve the capacity of soil by means of
reinforcement. Geotextiles have emerged as a good and
economical alternative for soil reinforcement. This article
presents the result of triaxial testing conducted on c- soil
samples reinforced with geosynthetic. Woven and non-woven
geosynthetics were used in the form of sheet and thread. Effect
of type of geosynthetic, confining pressure, number of layers
and content of geotextile thread have been considered in
analysis. The stress-strain behaviour of soil has improved with
the addition of geotextiles. Increase in number of layers and
confining pressure has led to the improvement in the
performance of reinforced soil. Deviatoric stress has increased
with increase in number of layers and confining pressure.
Optimum amount of geotextiles threads are found to be
varying from 5% to 10% by weight of soil. Result of study are
presented in the graphical form.
Keywords: Reinforcement, Geotextile, Woven, Nonwoven,
Soil, Triaxial, Confining pressure
1.Introduction
Nowadays there are various alternatives available to increase
the strength and stiffness of the weak soil and to improve the
behaviour of soil under various loading and environmental
conditions. Geotextiles are most widely used sheet materials
for reinforcement and there are wide verities of geotextiles
available in the market. Geotextile reinforced soils are very
frequently used in various civil and environmental engineering
projects because geotextiles are cost effective and
environmental friendly. Reinforcements and soil together are
treated as composite material to study the behaviour of
reinforced soil [1]. In case of unreinforced soil samples, failure
occurs along a planar shear plane, whereas reinforced soil
samples fail due to bulging between neighbouring geotextile
layers [2].
There are various studies available on sand and clay
reinforced soil in literature. Triaxial test are one of best
laboratory test to determine the effect of reinforcement on the
behavior of soil.
Various triaxial test on sand have been performed byHaeri
et al. 2000 [3], Chandrasekaran et al. 1989 [4], Gray and AlRefeai 1986 [5], Zhang et al. 2006, 2008 [6], Latha and Murthy
2007 [7], Tafreshi and Asakereh 2007 [8], Wu and Hong 2008
[9], Tuna &Altun 2012 [10], Nguyen et al. 2013 [11], Parihar

et al. 2015[12] to study the various aspects of reinforcement.

Several studies have been also conducted on clay by various
researchers (Ingold and Miller 1983 [13],Noorzad and
Mirmoradi 2010 [14], Fabian and Foure 1986 [15], Al-Omari
et al. 1989 [16], Fourier&Fabian 1987 [17]).Test results of
earlier studies on reinforced soil have revealed that the
behaviour of reinforced sand depends on the various
parameters such as reinforcement arrangement, confining
pressure, specimen size and reinforcement characteristics
(spacing, strength, stiffness and form).
Many additional factors affect the behaviour of reinforced
clay such as permeability of reinforcement, moisture content,
drained/undrained loading conditions and relative compaction.
Reinforcement contributes to the additional strength, flexibility
and ductility in reinforced soil so failure of material changes
from brittle to flexible or ductile. Post peak strength loss also
reduces with the addition of geotextiles. There are various
studies conducted in the past to determine the reinforcing
behaviour of reinforced sand and clay and only a few studies
are available on reinforced c- soils. In the present study, an
attempt have been made to determine the effect of number of
layer and confining pressure on the peak stress of a well graded
compacted c- soil.
2.Material used in the Study
2.1 Soil
A c- Soil used in present study and it is collected from
Domehar district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Index properties
of soil are shown in tabular form in table1. Grain size
distribution of soil are shown in figure 1.

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Table.1: Index properties of soil

Properties
Value
Liquid limit
41.80%
Plastic limit
21.85%.
Plasticity Index
20.05%
Effective size
0.019 mm
Cohesion
52.43 kPa
Angle of internal friction
8.840
OMC
17.11%
Max. dry density
1.7331 gm/cc

International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.55 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

Table 2:Properties of Non-woven geotextiles

Properties
Values
Mass Per Unit Area
120 g/m
Thickness
120 GSM
Tensile Strength CD
4.0 KN/m
Elongation
80 %
Grab Tensile Strength CD
0.30 kN
CBR Puncture Strength
640 N
Apparent Opening size
90 Microns

100
90
80
70
Fine (%)

60
50
40
30
20

Table 3: Properties of woven geotextiles

Property
Value
Tensile Strength
42 KN/m
Elongation at Break
28 %
Trapezoid rear strength
520 N
Puncture strength
620 N
Water Permeability
9.5
Apparent opening
0.075 mm
Weight of Fabric
240 GSM

10
0
0.001

0.01

0.1

10

Particle Size (mm)

Fig. 1: Grain size distribution curve of soil

2.2 Geotextiles
Woven and nonwoven geotextiles were used in sheet and thread
form in study. The geotextiles are bought from Virendera
Textiles, Noida, Uttar Pradesh and shown in figure 2.
Properties of nonwoven and woven geotextiles are shown in 2.3 Triaxial apparatus
table 2 and table 3 respectively. Used geotextiles are resistant All test specimens of triaxial test are having diameter of 38mm
to various chemicals and microorganism found in earth and and 76 mm height. Apparatus used in study is shown in Fig 3.
short term resistant to UV radiations as well.

(a)

Fig 3: Triaxial test apparatus

3. Experimental Program and procedure

(b)
Fig. 2: Geotextiles used in study; (a) Non-Woven Geotextiles
(b) Woven Geotextiles

All soil samples were collected from Domehar district of

Himachal Pradesh. Index properties of collected soil are
determined in laboratory as per Indian standards. Grain size
distribution, moisture content, consistency limit, and
compaction parameters were determined as per IS: 2720 (Part
IV) -1985 [18], IS: 2720 (Part II)-1973 [19], IS: 2720 (Part V)
1985 [20] and IS: 2720 (Part- VII)-1980 [21] respectively.
The geotextile sheet was cut into a circular shape of size 37.00
mm diameter. Geotextile arrangement used in tests is shown in
figure 4.

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.55 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

700
600
Peak stress (kPa)

500
400
300
200

3=100 kPa

100

3=200 kPa

3=300 kPa
0

2
Number of layers

(a)
700
600
Peak stress (kPa)

The specimens for triaxial test were prepared in laboratory

using a metallic split mould with a detachable collar. Mould is
having 38 mm and 76 mm of diameter and height respectively.
A detachable collar, orthogonal to the vertical axis of the
mould is connected at the end of the mould. Reinforcements of
circular shape sheet were placed in the mould at variable height.
A trial and error method was used to obtain the position (height
of reinforcement layer in the soil sample) of geotextiles layer
in triaxial sample. In trial- error process, the geotextiles were
placed at arbitrary height from the base of mould and these
height values are noted down in an observation sheet. The soil
sample was compacted in layers using a tamping rod. After
compaction process completed, soil sample was detached from
sampler or mould and final positions (height from base) were
again noted down in sheet. This procedure is repeated until
geotextile sheets get the desirable position in triaxial sample.
Prepared soil sample was then placed on the pedestal of
the triaxial apparatus for further testing. The test was carried out
till the maximum value of the stress has been reached and
stress v alue start reducing with strain. Unconsolidated
Undrained triaxial tests on soils samples were carried out as per
IS: IS: 2720 (PART 11) 1993 [22].

500
400
300
200

3=100 kPa
3=200 kPa

100

3=300 kPa

0
0

4. Result and Discussion

4.1 Effect of number of layers and thread content on the
peak stress of reinforced soil
Peak stress is increased with increase in number of layers and
thread content in soil samples. Peak stress is increased linearly
when number of layers increased from zero to one and zero to
two. Increase in peak stress is more when number of layers
increases from two to three. Effect of number of layer on peak
stress for woven and nonwoven geotextiles are shown in figure
5 (a) and (b) respectively.
Peak stress also increases with increase in threads of
geotextiles. Optimum amount of threads are found to be
approximately 10%. Effect of threads on peak stress is shown
in figure 6.

2
3
Number of layers

(b)
Fig. 5: Effect of number of layers on peak stress (a) woven
geotextiles (b) nonwoven geotextiles
800
700
600

Peak stress (kPa)

Fig. 4: Geotextile arrangement used in tests

500
400
300

3=100 kPa

200

3=200 kPa

100

3=300 kPa

0
0

10

15

20

Geotextiles threads (%)

(c)
Fig. 6:Effect of geotextiles thread % on peak stress of
reinforced soil

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, ISSN 0973-4562 Vol. 10 No.55 (2015)
Research India Publications; httpwww.ripublication.comijaer.htm

4.2 Effect of confining pressure on the peak stress of

reinforced soil
Peak stress is increased linearly with increase in confining
pressure irrespective of number of layer and percentage of
geotextiles. Effect of confining pressure is more for higher
number of reinforcement. Effect of confining pressure on
behavior of reinforced soil is shown in figure 7.
Without geotextiles

650
Peak strength (kPa)

700

Peak Stress (kPa)

700

800

600

Single layer

550

Double layer

500

Three layer

450

600
500
400
300
200
100
0
0

400

Without geotextiles

5%

10%

15%

100

200
300
Confining pressure (kPa)

400

Fig. 8: Effect of geotextiles threads on confining pressure

350
300
250
200
0

100

200

300

400

Confining pressure (kPa)

(a)
650
600

Without geotextiles

550

Single layer

Peak stress (kPa)

500

Double layer

450

Three layer

400
350
300
250
200
0

100

200

300

400

Confining pressure (kPa)

(b)
Fig. 7: Effect of confining pressure on peak stress of soil (a)
woven geotextiles (b) nonwoven geotextiles

McGown et al. (1981) [23] stated that the peak stress is

increased with increase in confining pressure because increase
in confining pressure leads to increase in frictional stress
between soil and geotextiles. But, it can also be observed that
on increasing the confining pressure beyond a certain limit, the
difference in the peak stress values of different number of
layers becomes less evident. This observation is well matched
with Noorzad &Mirmoradi(2010) [24].
5. Conclusion
Index properties and all other laboratory tests were conducted
as per Indian standard code. Both, woven and non-woven
geotextiles were used as reinforcement and it was found that
woven geotextiles are more effective compared to non-woven
geotextiles to improve the peak shear strength of soil. With
increase in number of layers and confining pressure, there is
increase in the peak stress but becomes less evident at very
high values of confining pressure. Peak stress increases
linearly with increase in confining pressure irrespective of
number of layers and percentage of geotextiles.Peak stress of
reinforced soil increases linearly with increase in number of
layers up to two l ayers but increasing number of layers more
than two causes much higher increase in strength of soil. The
optimum amount of the thread geotextiles is found to be
approximately 10%. Increasing the confining pressure beyond
a certain limit, the difference in the peak stress values of
different number of layers becomes less evident.

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