Investigating the Effect of Treating Reinforcement with Different Additives on the Bearing Capacity of the Footing: An Experimental Study

Considering the interface characteristics between geosynthetics and soil is crucial in estimating the bearing capacity of reinforced footings. Surface treatment of geotextiles with various additives presents a viable solution for enhancing bearing capacity. This investigation presents the findings of plate load tests on square model footings placed on reinforced sand, both with and without treated geotextiles, aiming to investigate the influence of geotextile treatment on settlement and bearing capacity. The effect of the number of layers and different additives such as polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, cement, emulsion and lime was studied. The same treatment method was applied to both sides of the geotextile. Values of bearing capacity as well as load-settlement diagrams and bearing capacity ratio values (BCR) were evaluated. It is worth mentioning that the results of the experiments were validated through numerical modeling. The findings emphasize the significant impact of geotextile treatment on the behavior of footing on reinforced beds. This research contributes valuable insights into optimizing geotextile surface treatments for enhanced bearing capacity in geotechnical engineering applications. The findings offer practical implications for designing foundations and structures on reinforced soils, with treatment emerging as a promising solution for improved performance.