Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Block reinforcement behavior and mechanism of soil slopes

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent years, blocks created by pressure grouting of cement into soil were used to reinforce slopes by targeting specific weak areas. A clear understanding of the block reinforcement mechanism is essential for the accurate evaluation of the stability of block-reinforced slopes and reasonable design of block layouts. A series of centrifuge model tests was conducted to investigate the bearing capacity and the full deformation and failure behavior of block-reinforced slopes, with a focus on the influence of block layouts on the reinforcement effect. A block reinforcement with a reasonable layout was confirmed to increase the stiffness and the ultimate bearing capacity of the slope. The block reinforcement significantly changed the failure mode to the complex disturbance and destruction from slippage failure in an unreinforced slope. The block reinforcement restrained the deformation localization around the blocks and thus prevented the development of the coupling effect between the deformation localization process and the failure process in an unreinforced slope during loading. Such a reinforcement mechanism could be used to explain why the block reinforcement increased the bearing capacity and changed the failure mode of the slope. The blocks exhibited significant motion along with the development of deformation localization in the slope during loading. The block reinforcement effect was significantly affected by the rotation of blocks, which was determined by the block layout.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Allen TM, Bathurst RJ, Berg RR (2002) Global level of safety and performance of geosynthetic walls: an historical perspective. Geosynth Int 9(5–6):395–450. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.9.0224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Chen RH, Chiu YM (2008) Model tests of geocell retaining structures. Geotext Geomembr 26(1):56–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2007.03.001

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Guler E, Hamderi M, Demirkan MM (2007) Numerical analysis of reinforced soil-retaining wall structures with cohesive and granular backfills. Geosynth Int 14(6):330–345. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.2007.14.6.330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. He SM, Ouyang CJ, Luo Y (2012) Seismic stability analysis of soil nail reinforced slope using kinematic approach of limit analysis. Environ Earth Sci 66(1):319–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1241-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hu Y, Zhang G, Zhang JM, Lee CF (2010) Centrifuge modelling of geotextile-reinforced cohesive slopes. Geotext Geomembr 28(1):12–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2009.09.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Huang CC (2016) Settlement of footings at the crest of reinforced slopes subjected to toe unloading. Geosynth Int 23(4):1–10. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgein.15.00045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Jiang Y, Han J, Zheng G (2014) Numerical analysis of a pile–slab-supported railway embankment. Acta Geotech 9(3):499–511. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0285-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Leflaive E (1988) Durability of geotextiles: the French experience. Geotext Geomembr 7(1–2):23–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/0266-1144(88)90016-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Li X, Pei X, Gutierrez M, He SM (2012) Optimal location of piles in slope stabilization by limit analysis. Acta Geotech 7(3):253–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0170-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Li XP, Su LJ, He SM, Xu J (2016) Limit equilibrium analysis of seismic stability of slopes reinforced with a row of piles. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 40(8):1241–1250. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu HL, Fei K, Yang G, Liu P (2016) Use of polyurethane foam adhesive-reinforced rockfill material to improve seismic behavior of earth-rockfill dam. Adv Sci Technol Water Resour 36(1):60–65. https://doi.org/10.3880/j.issn.1006-7647.2016.01.011

    Google Scholar 

  12. Nouri H, Fakher A, Jones CJFP (2006) Development of horizontal slice method for seismic stability analysis of reinforced slopes and walls. Geotext Geomembr 24(3):175–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2005.11.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Nowatzki E, Samtani N (2004) Design, construction, and performance of an 18-meter soil nail wall in Tucson, AZ. Geotechnical Special Publication 124, pp 741–752. https://doi.org/10.1061/40713(2004)65

  14. Ong DEL, Leung CF, Chow YK, Ng TG (2015) Severe damage of a pile group due to slope failure. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001294

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rajabian A, Viswanadham BVS (2016) Behaviour of anchored geosynthetic-reinforced slopes subjected to seepage in a geotechnical centrifuge. Geosynth Int 23(1):36–47. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.15.00031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Rogers CDF, Glendinning S (1997) Improvement of clay soils in situ using lime piles in the UK. Eng Geol 47(3):243–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(97)00022-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Smethurst JA, Powrie W (2007) Monitoring and analysis of the bending behaviour of discrete piles used to stabilise a railway embankment. Geotechnique 57(8):663–677. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2007.57.8.663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Song YS, Hong WP, Woo KS (2012) Behavior and analysis of stabilizing piles installed in a cut slope during heavy rainfall. Eng Geol 129:56–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.01.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Turner JP, Jensen WG (2005) Landslide stabilization using soil nail and mechanically stabilized earth walls: case study. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 131(2):141–150. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:2(141)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Viswanadham BVS, Koenig D (2009) Centrifuge modeling of geotextile-reinforced slopes subjected to differential settlements. Geotext Geomembr 27(2):77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2008.09.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wang C, Wang B, Guo P, Zhou S (2015) Experimental analysis on settlement controlling of geogrid-reinforced pile-raft-supported embankments in high-speed railway. Acta Geotech 10(2):231–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0288-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang LP, Zhang G (2014) Centrifuge model test study on pile reinforcement behavior of cohesive soil slopes under earthquake conditions. Landslides 11(2):213–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0388-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Wang LP, Zhang G, Zhang JM (2011) Centrifuge model tests of geotextile-reinforced soil embankments during an earthquake. Geotext Geomembr 29(3):222–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2010.11.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Xu DS, Yin JH (2016) Analysis of excavation induced stress distributions of GFRP anchors in a soil slope using distributed fiber optic sensors. Eng Geol 213:55–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.08.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Yang SC, Leshchinsky B, Zhang F, Gao YF (2016) Required strength of geosynthetic in reinforced soil structures supporting spread footings in three dimensions. Comput Geotech 78:72–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.04.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yao YP, Sun DA, Matsuoka H (2008) A unified constitutive model for both clay and sand with hardening parameter independent on stress path. Comput Geotech 35:210–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2007.04.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Yoo C (2001) Laboratory investigation of bearing capacity behavior of strip footing on geogrid-reinforced sand slope. Geotext Geomembr 19(5):279–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-1144(01)00009-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhang G, Cao J, Wang LP (2013) Centrifuge model tests of deformation and failure of nailing-reinforced slope under vertical surface loading conditions. Soils Found 53(1):117–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2012.12.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Zhang G, Hu Y, Wang LP (2015) Behaviour and mechanism of failure process of soil slopes. Environ Earth Sci 73(4):1701–1713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3522-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhang G, Hu Y, Zhang JM (2009) New image analysis-based displacement-measurement system for geotechnical centrifuge modeling test. Measurements 42(1):87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2008.04.002

    Google Scholar 

  31. Zhang G, Wang LP (2010) Stability analysis of strain-softening slope reinforced with stabilizing piles. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 136(11):1578–1582. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Zhang G, Wang LP (2016) Integrated analysis of a coupled mechanism for the failure processes of pile-reinforced slopes. Acta Geotech 11(4):941–952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-015-0410-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhang G, Wang LP, Wang YL (2017) Pile reinforcement mechanism of soil slopes. Acta Geotech 12(5):1035–1046. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-017-0543-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Zhu HH, Shi B, Yan JF (2015) Investigation of the evolutionary process of a reinforced model slope using a fiber-optic monitoring network. Eng Geol 186:34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.10.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Zornberg JG, Mitchell JK, Sitar N (1997) Testing of reinforced slopes in a geotechnical centrifuge. Geotech Test J 20(4):470–480. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10413J

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Zornberg JG, Sitar N, Mitchell JK (1998) Limit equilibrium as basis for design of geosynthetic reinforced slopes. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 124(8):684–698. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1998)124:8(684)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51479096), the China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd, Technology Project (No. 060200KK52160004), and Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program (No. 20161080105).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, People’s Republic of China

    Yaliang Wang, Ga Zhang & Aixia Wang

Authors
  1. Yaliang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ga Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Aixia Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ga Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, Y., Zhang, G. & Wang, A. Block reinforcement behavior and mechanism of soil slopes. Acta Geotech. 13, 1155–1170 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-018-0644-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-018-0644-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation