Assessment of observed behavior of soil reinforced by rigid inclusions

Abstract

The numerical behavior of rafted foundation resting on soil reinforced by rigid inclusions is undertaken. Axisymmetric modeling of scaled test model investigated primarily in the framework of ASIRI research project is investigated by the FE code Plaxis V9.2D. The predictions of settlement and efficiency of the reinforced soil are compared to measurements obtained from tests carried out in the calibration chamber. A parametric study was conducted and allowed to observe the effect of the thickness and the constitutive material of mattress layer, the cover rate and type of compressible soil on the efficiency of the reinforcement by rigid inclusion. Main findings were: the best efficiency is obtained for minimum thickness of mattress layer. The increase in cover rate leads to an increased maximum efficiency and settlement reduction.