Influence of the reinforcement in the compaction of the soil layers – an experimental analyses

Abstract

Geosynthetics reinforcements are used for pavement structures and shallow fills as alternatives in the execution of roads over weak subgrades. The use of reinforcements involves a number of benefits, such as a better distribution of the traffic load and a higher lifetime of the pavement. Many researchers aim to analyze the reinforcement behavior and its characteristics under the cyclical loading of the trafficking during the lifetime of the paved roads, but little attention has been given to the quality of the compacted layer. This research discusses the influence of geogrid reinforcement during the compaction of reinforced soil layers, considering the ability to increase the resistance of the layer. As means for the work, a laboratory experiment was set simulating sections of the pavement with and without the insertion of a geogrid. Stiffness parameters were verified after the Plate Load test (PLT) and compared among them. The reinforcement enabled a high increase in the magnitude of the deformability modulus (Ev2), even though the boundary conditions were limited.