Experimental and numerical studies of loaded strip footing resting on reinforced fly ash slope

ABSTRACT: Being a waste material, fly ash can be used in large quantities in construction of highway and railway embankments. This paper presents a series of plane strain model tests carried out on both reinforced and unreinforced fly ash embankment slopes. Laboratory tests were conducted by varying parameters such as embedment ratio, length and number of reinforcement layers, and edge distance from slope crest. A numerical study using finite-element analysis (PLAXIS 2D, version 9.0) was also carried out to verify the model test results. The size of the numerical model was kept the same as that of the laboratory test model. The agreement between observed and computed results was found to be reasonably good. Based on numerical and experimental results, the critical values of the geogrid parameters for maximum reinforcing effects were established.