Performance evaluation of seashell and sand as infill materials in HDPE and coir geocells

Abstract

Geocell is a soil reinforcement technique which is established to be a versatile method in terms of its efficiency in lateral confinement of the soil and cost-effectiveness. This study provides an overview of the bearing capacity and settlement characteristics of sand bed reinforced with coir geocells in comparison with HDPE–geocell-reinforced sand bed and unreinforced sand bed. A series of model plate load tests on the reinforced sand bed were conducted in a steel tank in the laboratory. The bearing capacity of coir geocell-reinforced sand was found to be two times higher than that of HDPE–geocells-reinforced sand bed. This paper also demonstrates the performance of HDPE and coir geocells with seashell as infill material in comparison with sand. Substantial results were obtained, and maximum bearing capacity was achieved for a combination of 20% seashell and 80% sand infilled in coir geocell. The preference of reinforcing soil with more economical and environment-friendly coir geocell and seashell is practicable as well as sustainable.