The study on Dynamic Response of Aeolian Sand Embankment Strengthened by Geocell through Field Test

Due to the harsh environment in desert areas, the lack of self-collected road construction materials leads to difficulty in road construction. At the same time, aeolian sand particles are small and unstable, and the foundation treatment is difficult, so using geocell to reinforce aeolian sand as the roadbed structure can provide a new path for constructing highways in the desert. The dynamic response of the subgrade under the impact of traffic load was studied from the two aspects, including vehicle weights and speeds; then, the dynamic stress attenuation coefficient of different subgrade was calculated to put forward the calculation method of geocell-equal generation subgrade thickness. The test zone, the S21 line, is from Urumqi to Altay. The results showed that under traffic load, the stress curve was similar to a sine wave and showed certain hysteresis with the depth. Besides, it was found that the increase of the test speed had little effect on the dynamic stress. By calculating the attenuation coefficient of dynamic stress under different conditions of subgrade fillings, it was found that the attenuation coefficient of the geocell-aeolian sand layer was the largest, followed by the graded gravel layer and aeolian sand layer. The dynamic stress attenuation coefficient showed little relationship with the test speed and vehicle weight, but it was a constant relating to the properties of subgrade filling. The bearing capacity of the subgrade layer was checked by using the equal generation working area thickness method, and the requirements of subgrade bearing capacity can be met when the dynamic stress was transferred to the aeolian sand layer. This research can provide a theoretical basis for the application of geocell reinforcement to aeolian sand in the desert highway.