ABSTRACT
A pile support system is a common solution for embankments constructed over soft, normally consolidated fine-grained, or organic soils. Piles are installed to reach the stronger layers of the foundation soil, while the transfer of the embankment load to the piles relies on the development of the stress distribution often referred to as arching. In addition, geosynthetic reinforcement is used in a load transfer platform to enhance the transfer of the load to the piles. A series of numerical simulations (FEM) were carried out to study the formation of arching in embankment fill placed over a square-grid pile support system. The development of the load transfer process was also studied, quantified by the system efficacy. The efficacy of the support system without geosynthetic can easily exceed 80%, but it can be larger than 90% if a geosynthetic-reinforced load transfer platform is used. Numerical simulations provided some insight into the development of the load transfer mechanism, but distinct arching as assumed in many design methods was not detected.
