Laboratory investigation of bearing capacity behaviour of strip footing on reinforced flyash slope

The paper presents the results of laboratory model tests on bearing capacity behaviour of a strip footing resting on the top of a geogrid reinforced flyash slope. A series of model footing tests covering a wide range of boundary conditions, including unreinforced cases were conducted by varying parameters such as location and depth of embedment of single geogrid layer, number of geogrid layers, location of footing relative to the slope crest, slope angles and width of footing. The results of the investigation indicate that both the pressure–settlement behaviour and the ultimate bearing capacity of footing resting on the top of a flyash slope can be enhanced by the presence of reinforcing layers. However the efficiency of flyash geogrid system increases with the increasing number of geogrid layers and edge distance of footing from the slope. Based on experimental results critical values of geogrid parameters for maximum reinforcing effects are established. Experimental results obtained from a series of model tests have been presented and discussed in the paper.