Use of geogrid as a reinforcing element for shallow foundations

In general, work carried out on low bearing capacity or high deformability soils engages complex solutions. A modern solution to this geotechnical problem is the use of special techniques to improve the mass foundation’s performance. Against this background geosynthetics – or more specifically geogrids – have been playing a leading role in replacing and enhancing traditional reinforcement solutions in order to reduce cost. Some research particularly developed based on experimental tests and/or numerical analyses shows parametrically variation in the bearing capacity of shallow foundations caused by the presence of geogrid reinforcements. The main parameters studied include: depth of the first reinforcement layer, width of the geogrid, the amount of reinforcement, spacing between layers and total reinforcement thickness. Therefore, this paper aims to present critical analyses of the state of the art on use geogrid as a reinforcing element for shallow foundations. Using that material improves bearing capacity of soil and reduces the settlement, thus it is possible to execute shallow foundation and reduce costs compared to conventional designs. This paper is justified mainly because of the lack of understanding interaction mechanisms between the geosynthetic, the soil and the foundation structure, which restricts the development of design methodologies and the prediction of the behavior of the reinforcement in the long term.