3D Numerical investigation of excavation in sandy ground reinforced using different types of geosynthetics

Stabilization of excavations and retaining walls are important issues in geotechnical field. Use of new and novel methods in excavation sites, and providing safe condition for the final aim of project is one of the challenging matters in this regard. Excavation in sandy soils, due to lack of enough cohesion for its stability, face serious problems. In order to solve this problem, using special techniques to improve the stability is very important subject. Geosynthetics (i.e. geotextile, geogrid, and geocell) are among the new techniques, which could enhance the stability and performance of sandy soils. In this research, 3D finite different analysis performed to investigate unreinforced and reinforced excavations using geotextile, geogrid, and geocell elements and their comparison. Results indicated that in the case of using geotextile, geogrid, and geocell the critical depth of excavation increased up to 3.125, 2.75, and 2.25 times of unreinforced excavation, respectively.