Mohammed Y. Fattah; Nahla M. Salim; Mohammad S. Ismaiel
Abstract
Underground facilities are an integral part of the infrastructure of modern society and are used for a wide range of applications, including subways and railways, highways, material ...
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Underground facilities are an integral part of the infrastructure of modern society and are used for a wide range of applications, including subways and railways, highways, material storage, and sewage and water transport. Underground facilities built in areas subject to dynamic activity must withstand both dynamic and static loading. This study focuses on the effect of the geogrid reinforcement in transfer of the dynamic load to the underground structure. The underground structure was simulated as a PVC pipe 110 mm in diameter inside the sandy soil. In order to investigate the response of soil, footing and underground tunnel to dynamic loading, a physical model was manufactured. The manufactured physical model could be used to simulate the application of dynamic loading. The total number of the tests carried out is 4 models. All the 4 model tests with relative density equal to 40% corresponding to loose sand. The applied harmonic load has an amplitude of 0.5 ton and a frequency of 2 Hz. For each amplitude and frequency of the load, the sand models were tested without geogrid and with geogrid of three series of geogrid depths from the model surface (0.5B, 1B and 1.5B) and width equal to (1B), where B is the strip footing width. The dynamic load was applied in the tests by a hydraulic jack system. The response of the tunnel to dynamic loading includes measuring the pressure above the crown of the tunnel by using a pressure cell (manufactured by Geokon company) as well as measuring the amplitude of displacement by using a vibration meter. The response of footing was elaborated by measuring the total settlement using sensors in the dynamic load apparatus. It was found the pressure above the crown of the tunnel decreased by about (14-33) % when using geogrid reinforcement. Also, it was found the settlement decreased by about (13-20) % when using geogrid reinforcement.
