Polymer grid reinforced pavement on soft clay grounds

Abstract

This paper deals with model and field tests for investigating the mechanism of reinforcement by a polymer grid in suppressing non-uniform settlement of pavements constructed on soft clay ground. A series of laboratory tests on reinforced and unreinforced model pavements in a soil tank indicates that the polymer grid is useful for suppressing non-uniform settlement of pavement under cyclic loading. Deformation analysis by FEM is carried out to make clear the reinforcement effect of a polymer grid in a model pavement. To investigate the performance of a polymer grid in practice, a test road of 300 m length with six sections of different kinds of pavement is constructed on soft clay ground. The function of a polymer grid is discussed by comparing the pavements made by conventional and reinforced methods.