An Investigation on the Behaviour of Geosynthetic Reinforced Quarry Waste Bases (QWB) Under Vertical loading

The strength and rigidity of base course can significantly affect the performance of pavements. The rigidity of roadways relies on the infill material used in base layers which is interdependent on its thickness and quality. With the increase in the base thickness, the performance of the base course improves but the cost associated with it also increases. Since the natural aggregates are not adequately available, use of waste materials in road construction can prove economical and environmental friendly. In this study, efficacy of geosynthetic (geocells and non-woven geotextile) reinforced quarry waste as an alternative base course materials (BCM) were investigated under static loading conditions (plate load test-PLT). By increasing the geocell height from 100 to 150 mm, the bearing capacity (BC) increased from 450 to 840 kPa. Similarly due to combined use of geocell and geotextile, BC increased from 500 to 890 kPa. The experimental results depict that the geosynthetic reinforcement increases the load bearing capacity of QWB's by 85%. Moreover, the artificial neural network analysis (ANN) was performed to predict the deformation on top of footing while considering different influential parameters. The results obtained from the ANN analysis were in good fit.

Automated summary

The strength and rigidity of the base course are crucial for pavement performance. The use of geosynthetic materials to reinforce quarry waste can improve its load-bearing capacity. Artificial neural network analysis can predict deformation on the pavement.