Elastic Analysis of Soil-Geosynthetic Interaction

A two-dimensional analytical model based on elasticity theory is developed for modeling soil-geosynthetic interaction for a geosynthetic layer of finite length embedded horizontally between granular fill and soft ground under a foundation loading. The soil-geosynthetic interaction is analyzed in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The vertical soil-geosynthetic interaction is modeled using Winkler springs. The horizontal soil-geosynthetic interaction is simulated using horizontal shear springs. The geosynthetic reinforcement is assumed to be elastic and only experiences tension without bending and shearing resistance. The soil mass is treated as an isotropic homogeneous elastic material. The proposed analytical model can be used to obtain the two-dimensional deformation and stress field in the soil mass and reinforcement. The results from the proposed model are compared with rigorous two-dimensional finite difference modeling results. Material and geometry parametric analyses are carried out using the proposed model to investigate the effectiveness of soft ground improvement.