Page 11 - BULETIN GEOTEKNIK 2023

DESIGN CONCEPT
DESIGN CONCEPT

Table 1 provides the geometrical dimension and While the lightweight properties of

properties of the geopolymatress prepared where geopolymatress help to reduce the development

the test is executed in a control environment of excess pore water pressure from the

accordingly. overburden pressure, which in turn becomes uplift

pressure or buoyant force to support the

Table 1: Geometrical Dimensions and Properties lightweight material. Hence, gabion wall is

of Geopolymatress introduced to hold the geopolymatress

horizontally on its position, RC slab as a

Desciption Value Unit

counterweight and lean concrete for levelling

Dimension, W x L 5000 x 1000 mm 2 purposes.

Unit weight, γ 0.8 – 1.5 kN/m 3 Several laboratories testing has been conducted

on geopolymatress as shown in Figure 2 and the

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Stiffness modulus, E 10000 - 15000 kN/m results shows it is able to cater safe bearing

capacity as well as to suits the tolerable value as

Poisson’s ratio, ν 0.3 - specified by JKR. Based on the Unconfined

Compression Strength (UCS) Test, the average

Compressive strength, 2.2 - 16 MPa value of compressive strength for geopolymatress

UCS

with dimension of 1m x 1m x 0.3m is approximately

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Permeability, k 1 x 10 m/s 176 kPa. The result shows higher value than safe

bearing capacity of soil used in common design

practise (100 kPa). With these calculations,

The design of geopolymatress considers the

effect of both consolidation and buoyancy. The geopolymatress proved to be an alternative

consolidation settlement equation was modified method of construction in order to reduce the

to integrate buoyancy effect of geopolymatress; effect of differential settlement for road structure

hence the pore pressure is introduced, . Since where the value of compressive strength of the
U

hGPM

the lightweight is introduced, the existing panel exceeds 100 kPa.

hydrostatic pressure U is considered. While the

O

soft ground is assumed to be fully saturated, the

term of initial effective vertical stress, σ’ is
VO

substituted to initial total vertical stress, σ .

VO

Therefore,

For normally consolidated soil, OCR = 1:

For overconsolidated soil, OCR > 1 and σ < Pc:

For overconsolidated soil, OCR > 1 and σ > Pc:

Figure 2: Laboratories Testing

conducted on Geopolymatress

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