Using Triaxial Geogrid in Reinforcing Crushed Rock Base Constructed on Soft Soil Subgrade

Abstract:

This study examined the performance of an unpaved road reinforced with a triaxial geogrid built on a soft clay subgrade. The test setup featured a fully instrumented unpaved road model comprising a 0.2-m-thick crushed rock base supported by a 0.8-m-thick soft clay subgrade. The triaxial geogrid was positioned between the base and subgrade layers. Plate bearing tests were performed following ASTM standards. The thickness of the triaxial geogrid-reinforced base layer played a critical role in determining the unpaved road model’s ultimate bearing capacity and failure modes. Results showed that the reinforced model with a base layer of 0.2 m thick exhibited the highest bearing capacity compared with the unreinforced model, with an enhancement factor of 1.44. Furthermore, the reinforced section outperformed the unreinforced one, even with a reduced base thickness of 0.15 m. This suggests that triaxial geogrid reinforcement offers a viable solution for enhancing the sustainability of unpaved road construction on weak subgrades.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 1000)
• Pages: 87-94
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-k6dXKW
• Online since: December 2024
• Authors: Hatairat Poorahong*, Pochara Kruavit
• Keywords: Pavement Structure, Plate Bearing Test, Reinforcement, Triaxial Geogrid, Ultimate Bearing Capacity

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