2D and 3D numerical simulations of reinforced embankments on soft ground

Utilizing the same constitutive models and properties of foundation soils as published by previous researchers, two full-scale test embankments, namely steel grid embankment having longer plan dimensions with length-to-width ratio of 3.0 (long embankment) and hexagonal wire mesh reinforced embankment having shorter plan dimensions with length-to-width ratio of 1.0 (short embankment), were investigated using numerical simulation in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) explicit finite-difference programs, FLAC2D and FLAC3D, respectively. The 2D numerical analysis simulated the overall behavior of the steel grid reinforced “long” embankment with very reasonable agreement between the field measurements and the calculated values. On the other hand, the 3D numerical analysis simulated the overall behavior of the hexagonal wire mesh reinforced “short” embankment. Furthermore, the simulation results from the FLAC3D used in the 2D analysis agreed with the measured settlement data in the “long” embankment as well as the 2D predictions from FLAC2D. The 2D and 3D numerical analyses should be considered important factors that may affect the numerical simulation results which are consistent with the current settlement predictions with Skempton–Bjerrum corrections.