Steep sloped reinforced soil embankments under repeated loading

Geosynthetic reinforcement is often adopted in steep sloped embankments to reduce the land take. The behaviour of traffic supporting steep sloped reinforced soil embankments subjected to repeated loading were investigated through non linear finite element analysis. Application of locally available low friction fill soil is explored. Attempt was made to improve the frictional properties of the geosynthetic-soil interface through the provision of a thin layer of sand on either sides of the reinforcement (sandwich technique). The effects of reinforcement layers on the behaviour of embankments having various side slopes were simulated. The sandwich technique was found to enhance the performance of the geosynthetic reinforced soil embankment under monotonic and repeated loading. In the case of embankments employing the sandwich technique, the incremental deformations reduced to a greater degree with increasing number of cycles. Better reinforcement forces were mobilised due to the provision of the sand layer. The technique can be successfully employed to construct steep sloped embankments to support repeated loading.