Model tests on sand embankment reinforced with geocell subjected to strip loading

A series of model tests are carried out on pure embankment and reinforced embankment with geocell to study the effect of the different reinforced types of geocell on variation characteristic of stress and differential settlement in embankment. The influences of welded spacing, single-layer reinforcement depth, reinforcement layers and soil compaction on the bearing capacity and deformation of the embankment are investigated. At the same time, the failure mode of reinforced embankment is analyzed according to the distribution of tensile strain of geocell and the failure state of embankment slope. The results show that the effect of reinforcement increases with the decrease of geocell welded spacing and single-layer geocell depth, moreover, the effect of reinforcement increases with the increase of reinforcement layers and the embankment compaction. The bearing capacity of reinforcement embankment is about 2.5 times that of the pure sand, improves the bearing capacity and reduces the settlement of reinforcement embankment, and the lateral displacement of embankment slope is reduced by 75% than that of the pure sand embankment.