Numerical assessment of geocell-reinforced pavement performance subjected to cyclic loading conditions

Abstract

Abstract A numerical analysis was conducted using PLAXIS 3D software on a geocell-reinforced pavement over a soft subgrade under cyclic loading conditions. This study illustrates surface deformation and vertical stress within the subgrade layer of a reinforced pavement. The accuracy of the FE model was confirmed by comparing the results ofthe present study with those reported in the literature. This study investigated the influence of various factors, such as different infill and subgrade materials inreinforced pavements, on the overall pavement performance. These findings were compared with those observed for conventional planar-reinforced pavements. For improved infill and subgrade materials, the total surface deformation of the reinforced section decreased by approximately 15%–40%. Compared with the improvement in subgrade properties, a significant reduction of approximately 10% was observed inthe pressure response at the subbase-subgrade interface when using improved infill material. Moreover, compared to the planar-reinforced pavement, the geocell-reinforcedpavement reduced vertical stress at the interface between the base and subgrade by approximately 26%.