High density spatial measurements on a 3D large-scale model of a basal steel-reinforced piled embankment

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4. High density spatial measurements on a 3D large-scale model of a basal steel-reinforced piled embankment

This study presents details of a 3D large-scale test setup designed to investigate basal reinforced piled embankments. The test setup covers a 5 m × 5 m area and includes 16 piles arranged in a 4×4 layout, and a fill with a total height of 5.5 m. The study investigates the effects of basal steel reinforcement on soil arching, during embankment construction and with a decreasing to no subsoil support.

To achieve high resolution spatial measurements, four layers of Distributed Fibre Optic Sensors (DFOS) and conventional sensors were strategically placed in the model. Over 50 linear DFOS and 84 conventional sensors captured soil deformations, steel strains, total pressure, loads on piles, system boundary loads and deformations.

The paper focuses on technical details of the test set-up. Furthermore, it addresses challenges in employing the innovative DFOS sensors, highlighting post-processing techniques and data interpretation.

The study demonstrates that DFOS, in conjunction with classical sensors, provides a unique insight into complex soil-structure interactions. The measurements are compared to the Concentric Arches and EBGEO models and include loading stages corresponding to selected embankment heights and producing excessive deformations. The findings contribute to advancing understanding and modelling of geotechnical boundary value problems, not limited to piled embankments.

5th European Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ECPMG2024)

Geotechnical infrastructure