ABSTRACT
Worldwide, more and more basal reinforced piled embankments are being constructed for transport infrastructure. A basal reinforced piled embankment consists of a reinforced embankment on a pile foundation. The reinforcement consists of one or more horizontal layers of geosynthetic reinforcement installed at the base of the embankment. In use, these structures exhibit little or no residual settlement. The force transfer in the reinforced embankment is determined by arching. Important points in the structural design are the calculation of the piles’ bearing capacity, for which the regulations in force for the design of piles are used, and the dimensioning calculation for the geosynthetic reinforcement itself. The European standards mainly concern the structural design of buildings. The requirements specified in them do not always apply to other civil engineering structures, such as embankments, bridges and viaducts.
