Embankments on Piles

The "geosynthetic-reinforced soil on piles" foundation system is virtually settlement-free and thus ideal for rapid embankment construction. The soil reinforcement for the soft ground is provided by a combination of vertical load-bearing elements, i.e. piles, and earthworks reinforced by Fortrac geogrids. The geogrids provide for the formation and long-term stabilisation of a soil arch above the piles, even with large pile grids. At the same time, they ensure the low-settlement transmission of loads to the deeper foundation horizon, thereby eliminating the need for raked piles at the perimeter.

As no advance surcharging or consolidation times are needed for the foundation system, the finished embankments can come into service immediately upon completion. A large selection of high-modulus, low-creep, alkali-resistant Fortrac geogrids is available for the development of a reliable, cost-optimised system design. Typical applications for pile foundations with geosynthetic-reinforced soil include railway lines, motorway embankments and tank foundations.