ABSTRACT
Geosynthetic sheets are commonly used to improve the mechanical performances of soft soils reinforced by rigid inclusions and a granular load transfer embankment. In order to establish a design method for such reinforcement a DEM numerical analysis was performed. It was clearly demonstrated that the load due to the granular embankment is transferred on the one hand to the piles by load transfer within the granular embankment and by membrane effect induced by the deformation of the geosynthetic sheet, and on the other hand by the soft soil, which undergoes settlement. From the numerical results, it was shown that the main part of the load transmitted to the piles by membrane effect is due to the deformation of the geosynthetic strips located between the piles. It was also demonstrated that the geometry of the distribution of load supported by membrane effect takes a polynomial shape with concentration of loads at the vicinity of the piles.
