Granular columns can be reinforced by geogrids or related products to get further improvements in their performance. This paper presents a method for estimating the contributions of reinforcement to the ultimate capacity and stiffness of a reinforced granular column. The reinforcement is provided in the form of layers at a given spacing in the top region of granular column material to prevent bulging failure. The restraint offered to the granular material by the reinforcement, prevents the lateral deformations i.e. bulging and thus increases the ultimate capacity and the stiffness of the reinforced granular column. The present analysis shows that the ultimate capacity and stiffness of reinforced column increase with the number of reinforcement layers. The predictions based on the proposed approach agree well with the small scale in-situ test results presented by Madhav (1982).
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