Field Scale Testing of Geosynthetic Stabilization for Soft Soils - a LARGE Experiment

***Lunch presentation includes a buffet lunch at the Park Town and free parking (just register at the front desk). Lunch starts at 11.45, with presentation to follow at ~12:00 pm***.

The University of Saskatchewan houses the Saskatchewan Soft Soil & Subgrade Stabilisation Study Site (S7), which has operated for 5 years. During this time, S7 has conducted groundbreaking experiments to gain insights into Stabilisation and Reinforcement under full-scale loading conditions, achieving several "World's First and Only" milestones. This presentation will address the challenges and opportunities from the past 5 seasons, covering the development of a large load frame, propulsion system, instrumentation, hydraulic loading system, materials, construction techniques, and real-time soil characterization. Technical objectives include working platform design, cyclic loading analysis of composite soil-geosynthetics, and shakedown theory.

In geosynthetics engineering, scenarios like MSE retaining walls or steep slopes involve well-understood mechanisms of reinforcement for problems with mostly static loads. However, many common soil-geosynthetic systems undergo cyclic, transient, and spatially-varying loading. Examples include working platforms and roads. In these cases, permanent strains aren't induced in the geosynthetic, leading to a mechanism known as "mechanical stabilization." Engineers face the challenge of quantifying the properties of the resulting composite material.