Analysis of Layered Geogrids–Sand–Clay Reinforced Structures under Triaxial Compression by Discrete Element Method

Compared with the commonest geosynthetics-reinforced soil structures, layered geogrids–sand–clay reinforced (LGSCR) structures (School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Shenyang 110870, China) can replace granular materials with clay as the primary backfill material. Up until now, the performance of LGSCR structures under triaxial compression has been unclear. In this paper, the discrete element method was used to simulate the triaxial compression test on the LGSCR samples. Based on the particle flow software PFC3D, three types of cluster particle-simulated sand and the reinforced joints of the geogrid were constructed by secondary development. The effects of the geogrid embedment in sand layers, the number and thickness of sand layers in relation to the deviatoric stress, and the axial strain and the shear strength index of the LGSCR samples were analyzed. The results showed that laying the sand layers in the samples can improve their post-peak strain-softening characteristics and increase their peak strengths under a high confining pressure. A geogrid embedment in sand layers can further enhance the ductility and peak strength of the samples, and in terms of the shear strength index, there is a 41.6% to 54.8% increase in the apparent cohesion of the samples.