Similar articles

Abstract: In this study, 2D and 3D soil arching phenomena associated with piled embankments were evaluated by performing a series of discrete numerical analyses using the particle flow code (PFC3D) software. After validating the micro-parameters with experimental results, we compared the stress-displacement distribution, force chain evolution, maximum vertical displacement of particles, and deformation characteristics induced by 2D and 3D arching effects. Additional analyses were carried out to understand the influence of the fill height, pile clear spacing, friction coefficient, and porosity on soil arching with respect to the stress concentration ratio (SCR) and settlement along the elevation at various sections. The numerical results indicated that a plane soil arch in a 2D embankment overestimates the degree of load transfer and underestimates the settlement at the crest and within the embankment along the elevation in a 3D embankment. A lower equal settlement plane can be found in a 2D embankment. Furthermore, an increase of fill height and friction angle, and a decrease of pile clear spacing and porosity can help to improve the degree of reduction in load transfer and settlement in both 2D and 3D embankments. However, for partially mobilized soil arching in the 3D condition, the increase of fill height reduces the settlement of soils mainly in the portion above the square subsoil area, but has less influence over the portion above the rectangular subsoil area.

桩承式路堤二维和三维土拱效应离散元分析

[1]Andrade JE, Chen QS, Le PH, et al., 2012. On the rheology of dilative granular media: bridging solid- and fluid-like behavior. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 60(6):1122-1136.

[2]Badakhshan E, Noorzad A, Bouazza A, et al., 2020. A 3D-DEM investigation of the mechanism of arching within geosynthetic-reinforced piled embankment. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 187:58-74.

[3]Bhandari A, Han J, 2010. Investigation of geotextile-soil interaction under a cyclic vertical load using the discrete element method. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 28(1):33-43.

[4]Bhandari A, Han J, 2018. Two-dimensional physical modelling of soil displacements above trapdoors. Geotechnical Research, 5(2):68-80.

[5]Briançon L, Simon B, 2012. Performance of pile-supported embankment over soft soil: full-scale experiment. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 138(4):551-561.

[6]BSI (British Standard Institution), 2010. Code of Practice for Strengthened/Reinforced Soils and Other Fills, BS8006-1. BSI, London, UK.

[7]Cao WJ, Hu WW, 2014. Experimental study of 3D soil arching in piled reinforced embankments. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 35(2):351-358 (in Chinese).

[8]Chen YM, Cao WP, Chen RP, 2008. An experimental investigation of soil arching within basal reinforced and unreinforced piled embankments. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 26(2):164-174.

[9]Chevalier B, Otani J, 2011. Arching observation in three-dimensional trapdoor problem with X-ray CT and discrete element method. Soils and Foundations, 51(3):459-469.

[10]Costa YD, Zornberg JG, Bueno BS, et al., 2009. Failure mechanisms in sand over a deep active trapdoor. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 135(11):1741-1753.

[11]Das AK, Deb K, 2018. Experimental and 3D numerical study on time-dependent behavior of stone column-supported embankments. International Journal of Geomechanics, 18(4):04018011.

[12]Dewoolkar MM, Santichaianant K, Ko HY, 2007. Centrifuge modeling of granular soil response over active circular trapdoors. Soils and Foundations, 47(5):931-945.

[13]Eskişar T, Otani J, Hironaka J, 2012. Visualization of soil arching on reinforced embankment with rigid pile foundation using X-ray CT. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 32:44-54.

[14]Han J, Gabr MA, 2002. Numerical analysis of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported earth platforms over soft soil. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 128(1):44-53.

[15]Han J, Bhandari A, Wang F, 2012. DEM analysis of stresses and deformations of geogrid-reinforced embankments over piles. International Journal of Geomechanics, 12(4):340-350.

[16]Han J, Wang F, Ai-Naddaf M, et al., 2017. Progressive development of two-dimensional soil arching with displacement. International Journal of Geomechanics, 17(12):04017112.

[17]Hewlett WJ, Randolph MF, 1988. Analysis of piled embankments. Ground Engineering, 21(3):12-18.

[18]Iglesia GR, Einstein HH, Whitman RV, 2011. Validation of centrifuge model scaling for soil systems via trapdoor tests. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 137(11):1075-1089.

[19]Iglesia GR, Einstein HH, Whitman RV, 2014. Investigation of soil arching with centrifuge tests. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 140(2):04013005.

[20]Jenck O, Dias D, Kastner R, 2007. Two-dimensional physical and numerical modeling of a pile-supported earth platform over soft soil. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 133(3):295-305.

[21]Jenck O, Dias D, Kastner R, 2009a. Discrete element modelling of a granular platform supported by piles in soft soil– validation on a small scale model test and comparison to a numerical analysis in a continuum. Computers and Geotechnics, 36(6):917-927.

[22]Jenck O, Dias D, Kastner R, 2009b. Three-dimensional numerical modeling of a piled embankment. International Journal of Geomechanics, 9(3):102-112.

[23]Kempfert HG, Gobel C, Alexiew D, et al., 2004. German recommendations for reinforced embankments on pile-similar elements. Third European Conference on Geosynthetics, p.279-284.

[24]King DJ, Bouazza A, Gniel JR, et al., 2017. Load-transfer platform behaviour in embankments supported on semi-rigid columns: implications of the ground reaction curve. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 54(8):1158-1175.

[25]Ladanyi B, Hoyaux B, 1969. A study of the trap-door problem in a granular mass. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 6(1):1-14.

[26]Lai HJ, Zheng JJ, Zhang J, et al., 2014. DEM analysis of “soil”-arching within geogrid-reinforced and unreinforced pile-supported embankments. Computers and Geotechnics, 61:13-23.

[27]Lai HJ, Zheng JJ, Zhang RJ, et al., 2016. Visualization of the formation and features of soil arching within a piled embankment by discrete element method simulation. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering), 17(10):803-817.

[28]Le Hello B, Villard P, 2009. Embankments reinforced by piles and geosynthetics—numerical and experimental studies dealing with the transfer of load on the soil embankment. Engineering Geology, 106(1-2):78-91.

[29]Marston A, 1930. The theory of external loads on closed conduits in the light of the latest experiments. The 9th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board, p.138-170.

[30]Rothenburg L, Bathurst RJ, 1993. Influence of particle eccentricity on micromechanical behavior of granular materials. Mechanics of Materials, 16(1-2):141-152.

[31]Rowe RK, Liu KW, 2015. Three-dimensional finite element modelling of a full-scale geosynthetic-reinforced, pile-supported embankment. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 52(12):2041-2054.

[32]Rui R, van Tol AF, Xia XL, et al., 2016a. Evolution of soil arching; 2D DEM simulations. Computers and Geotechnics, 73:199-209.

[33]Rui R, van Tol AF, Xia YY, et al., 2016b. Investigation of soil-arching development in dense sand by 2D model tests. Geotechnical Testing Journal, 39(3):415-430.

[34]Rui R, Han J, van Eekelen SJM, et al., 2019. Experimental investigation of soil-arching development in unreinforced and geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankments. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 145(1):04018103.

[35]Russell D, Naughton PJ, Kempton GT, 2003. A new design procedure for piled embankments. The 56th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 2003 NAGS Conference, p.858-865.

[36]Song JH, Chen KF, Li P, et al., 2018. Soil arching in unsaturated soil with different water table. Granular Matter, 20(4):78.

[37]Terzaghi K, 1943. Theoretical Soil Mechanics. John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA, p.66-76.

[38]Tien HJ, 1996. A Literature Study of the Arching Effect. MS Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA.

[39]Tran QA, Villard P, Dias D, 2019. Discrete and continuum numerical modeling of soil arching between piles. International Journal of Geomechanics, 19(2):04018195.

[40]van Eekelen SJM, Bezuijen A, Lodder HJ, et al., 2012a. Model experiments on piled embankments. Part I. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 32:69-81.

[41]van Eekelen SJM, Bezuijen A, Lodder HJ, et al., 2012b. Model experiments on piled embankments. Part II. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 32:82-94.

[42]van Eekelen SJM, Venmans AAM, Bezuijen A, et al., 2020. Long term measurements in the Woerden geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported embankment. Geosynthetics International, 27(2):142-156.

[43]Xu C, Zhang XY, Han J, et al., 2019. Two-dimensional soil-arching behavior under static and cyclic loading. International Journal of Geomechanics, 19(8):04019091.

[44]Zhu B, Gao D, Li JC, et al., 2012. Model tests on interaction between soil and geosynthetics subjected to localized subsidence in landfills. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering), 13(6):433-444.

[45]Zhuang Y, Wang KY, 2015. Three-dimensional behavior of biaxial geogrid in a piled embankment: numerical investigation. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 52(10):1629-1635.