Geocell-Reinforced Granular Fill under Static and Cyclic Loading: A Synthesis of Analysis

Abstract

Geocell is a three-dimensional geosynthetic that provides direct lateral confinement to the infill material. In recent years, the use of geocell-reinforced granular fill as a load supporting layer has received increased attention. In the past, lack of well-developed design methods that could quantify the benefit of geocell reinforcement limited the application. To fill the gap between the design and the application, fundamental, theoretical, and applied research projects have been carried out in several research institutes. This paper presents a synthesis of these studies on the analysis of geocell-reinforced granular fill. Due to the differences of soil behaviour under static and cyclic loading, theoretical and numerical analyses are summarized in this paper based on loading conditions. Experiments performed to facilitate the theoretical and numerical analyses are also reviewed. Recommendations are made for areas of future research.