Investigation on Bearing Characteristics of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Pile-Supported Embankment with Taper-Capped Pile

As an innovative foundation treatment method,the geosynthetic-reinforced pile-supported (GRPS) embankment with taper-capped piles effectively controls foundation settlement and enhances stability.Model test is conducted on the GRPS embankment with taper-capped piles to analyze pile the axial force of pile,pile-soil stress ratio and geogrid stress under embankment loading.A finite element numerical model is established and validated against experimental results to further investigate the influence of the taper angle change on the bearing characteristics of the GRPS embankment with taper-capped piles.The results indicate that the bearing capacity of the taper-capped pile is primarily provided by side friction,and the presence of the taper angle effectively enhances pile-soil interaction,thereby improving the overall structural bearing capacity.The peak pile-soil stress ratioat the central pile is 62.0% greater than that of the side piles,with load transfer occurring from the center toward both shoulders.The longitudinal pile-soil stress ratio is greater than that the transverse ratio.The geogrid helps regulate differential settlement within the embankment and distributes the embankment load efficiently through tensile deformation.When the taper angle increases from 2.9° to 11.3°,the settlement of the GRPS embankment with taper-capped pile is reduced by 28.27%.Increasing the taper angle enhances the interaction among the piles,soil,and reinforced cushion,improving both settlement control and material utilization efficiency.