A Regression Model for Predicting the Subgrade Modulus of Geocell-Reinforced Sand Beds

Geocells have recently been widely used to reinforce subgrade/foundation soil beds. The honeycomb-shaped cells can significantly improve the apparent cohesion and stiffness of soil due to the lateral limitation. This paper aims to predict the subgrade modulus of geocell-reinforced sand beds according to the unreinforced soil and the properties of geocells. Numerical technology was adopted to obtain the original data used for building the predicted model. A laboratory plate load test was initially cited to validate the calculated results obtained using FLAC3D. The validated model was subsequently extended to the baseline model of geocell-reinforced sand beds. The influence of reinforced parameters on bearing capacity and subgrade modulus was discussed deeply. The results revealed that only sufficient lateral deformation could increase the passive resistance of geocells. Based on this, the predicted model was proposed by considering the applied load, unreinforced soil, and geocell parameters. Furthermore, a modified equation was also built to suit all sand with different relative densities. The comparison results showed the suitability and accuracy of this model.