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On the use of high strength geosynthetic basal reinforcement layers for embankment construction on very soft soils

Embankments on soft subsoils are one of the typical problems of modern geotechnical engineering. High strength geosynthetic reinforcement are used in this application as a technical, ecological and financial beneficial solutions for more the 35 years by now. Over the time a lot of experience and knowledge has been gathered in regard to the system short and long term behavior. Site measurements have disclosed some unexpected results, which have been meanwhile confirmed by further site measurements and numerical simulation. One phenomenon is the unequal stress or load distribution, respectively, if multilayer systems with small vertical distance between the single layers are constructed.
The paper present two case studies, where among others strain measurements have been done on the geosynthetic. The results will be shown and interpreted as well as used for a calibration of a numerical model. The numerical is used to gain a better understanding of the system behavior.