Simplified methods to analyze geosynthetic mattress resting on deformable foundation soil

ABSTRACT A special case of geosynthetic tubes is the geosynthetic mattress characterized by its larger width-to-height ratio and higher lateral-force-resisting capacity. When the geosynthetic mattresses are adopted for dike or breakwater construction in coastal engineering projects, they are often laid on deformable foundation soil. The induced ground settlement will influence the cross-sections and tensile forces of the geosynthetic mattresses. Two analytical methods, called the Winkler foundation method and the e–log p method, are proposed in this paper to analyze the geosynthetic mattresses resting on deformable foundation soil. For the Winkler foundation method, the subgrade soil is assumed as a Winkler elastic foundation represented by the modulus of subgrade reaction, Kf. For the e–log p method, the 1D consolidation relationship (e–log p curve) is adopted to describe the behavior of the subgrade soil within which the distribution of vertical surcharge is calculated using Boussinesq equation. The numerical analyses using FLAC are also conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed methods. The differences between the analytical and numerical solutions are also discussed. It is found from this paper that the proposed e–log p method is more suitable than the Winkler foundation method for the calculation of the geosynthetic mattress resting on deformable foundation soil.