ABSTRACT
This paper aims to evaluate the impact of geocell reinforcement on the performance of the sand layer overlying a soft clay bed under vertical loading conditions. In practice, soil is often found in multilayered configurations rather than as a single homogeneous layer which necessitates the study of such systems for accurate analysis. Numerical simulations in PLAXIS 3D were used to compare the settlement behavior of unreinforced and geocell reinforced models with geogrid structural elements to simulate the geocell layer. Results show significant improvement in load-bearing capacity with geocell reinforcement, as indicated by the bearing pressure vs. settlement curves. The vertical stress distribution in both unreinforced and geocell-reinforced cases shows a significant reduction in vertical stress below the reinforcement layer under external loading. Parametric studies examined the effects of geocell depth, stiffness, sand layer thickness, and relative density. The findings provide valuable insights into the practical use of geocells for enhancing the performance of sand layers over soft clay layer.
