FOUNDATION SOLUTION FOR INCREASING THE BEARING CAPACITY OF THE FOUNDATION GROUND USING GEOGRIDS

References: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2014, www.sgem.org, SGEM2014 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-08-7 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 19-25, 2014, Book 1, Vol. 2, 385-392 pp

ABSTRACT
The appearance of new materials in the field of construction works lead to the use of those new materials, the object of this paper being the use of geosynthetics. These materials have many applications in the field of earth and infrastructure works. Function of the destination and the purpose of their use, geosynthetics can be classified into three categories. The first category consists in geotextiles used to assure the drainage of the water contained by the soils. The second category is that of geomembranes used especially in the construction of ecological waste landfills. The third category is represented by geogrids used as reinforcement elements in reinforced earth structures. Their aim is to assure an increase of the bearing capacity and the stability of the reinforced earth structures, respectively to reduce their deformations (settlements). The geogrids used as reinforcements overtake the tension stresses, respectively the shear stresses that appear in the soil masses. The paper presents the calculus of the bearing capacity for a shallow foundation of an industrial hall, placed on a site with a reduced ground bearing capacity. This foundation is placed on a granular material cushion reinforced with geogrids. The geogrids were placed on four levels under the foundation block. The calculus of the foundation system had two calculus steps. In the first step was calculated the necessary lateral extension of the geogrids beyond the foundation block edges. The second step consisted in the calculus of the bearing capacity of the reinforced fill granular material placed below the foundation.

Keywords: geosynthetics, bearing capacity of the foundation ground, reinforced earth structures, active zone, granular material cushion