S.a. Naeini, R. Ziaie_moayed,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (6-2009)
Abstract
In recent years, soil reinforcement is considered of great importance in many different civil projects. One of
the most significant applications of soil reinforcement is in road construction. Sub grade soil and its properties are
very important in the design of road pavement structure. Its main function is to give adequate support to the pavement
from beneath. Therefore, it should have a sufficient load carrying capacity. The use of geosynthetics in road and
airfield construction has shown the potential to increase the soil bearing capacity. One category of geosynthetics to
particular, geogrid, has gained increasing acceptance in road construction. A geogrid is a geosynthetic material
consisting of connected parallel sets of tensile ribs with apertures of sufficient size to allow strike-through of
surrounding soil, stone, or other geotechnical material. Geogrid reinforcement of sub grade soil is achieved through
the increase of frictional interaction between the soil and the reinforcement. Geogrid have been successfully used to
provide a construction platform over subgrades. In this application, the geogrid improves the ability to obtain
compaction in overlying aggregates, while reducing the amount of material required be removing and replacing.
Relative agreement exists that substantial benefits can be achieved from the inclusion of geogrids within the pavement
systems however, the quantity of the improvement is in relative disagreement. This paper presents the effects of
plasticity index and also reinforcing of soft clay on CBR values. Three samples of clay with different plasticity index
(PI) values are selected and tested without reinforcement. Then by placing one and two layer of geogrid at certain
depth within sample height, the effects of reinforcement and PI on CBR values are investigated in both soaked and
unsoaked conditions. The results shows that as the PI increase the CBR value decreases and reinforcing clay with
geogrid will increase the CBR value.