Analysis of geocell reinforced-soil covers over large span conduits

A novel technique to improve the load-deformation performance of thin soil cover layers over flexible long span soil-steel bridge conduits is proposed. The soil cover is reinforced by a composite layer of geocell-soil whose properties have greater strength and stiffness than the aggregate soil infill in an unreinforced condition. The paper describes a series of numerical simulations using a large strain non-linear finite element model to investigate the load-deformation response of midspan and eccentrically loaded steel conduits with and without reinforced geocell-soil covers. The simulation results show that the performance of soil-conduit systems with a conventional 1 m thick cover soil may be significantly improved by introducing a single layer of geocell-soil material. Alternatively, thinner depths of soil cover are possible using this reinforcement technique compared to conventional unreinforced methods. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.