Understanding the failure mechanism of geosynthetic-reinforced embankments on soft foundations is crucial for ensuring safety in design. This study aimed to investigate the failure mechanism and stability of embankments reinforced with varying layers and lengths of geosynthetic reinforcements utilising centrifuge testing and numerical modelling. The results show that a foundation under construction exhibits a progressive shear failure coupled with a tensile failure of the geosynthetic reinforcement. The plastic shear strain in the soft clay layer initiates at the centreline, shoulder and embankment toe and propagates both forward and backward until a critical slip surface develops. The tensile failure of the geosynthetic was observed at the embankment centre. Comparatively, implementing two shorter layers of geosynthetics proved more advantageous for overall stability than using a single layer with the entire length. By analysing the strain distribution in the foundation, the deformation modes of the embankment reinforced by different numbers of geosynthetic layers were clarified. It was found that increasing the number of geosynthetic layers extended the active shear zone in soft clay.

中文翻译：

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土工合成材料加筋路堤渐进破坏的离心机模拟

了解软土地基上土工合成材料加筋路堤的破坏机理对于确保设计安全至关重要。本研究旨在利用离心机测试和数值模拟研究采用不同层数和长度的土工合成材料加固的路堤的破坏机制和稳定性。结果表明，正在施工的地基表现出渐进式剪切破坏以及土工合成材料加固的拉伸破坏。软粘土层中的塑性剪切应变始于中心线、路肩和路堤脚趾，并向前和向后传播，直到形成临界滑移面。在路堤中心观察到土工合成材料的拉伸破坏。比较，事实证明，采用两层较短的土工合成材料比使用整个长度的单层更有利于整体稳定性。通过分析地基应变分布，明确了不同层数土工合成材料加固路堤的变形模式。研究发现，增加土工合成材料层数可以扩大软粘土的活动剪切带。