Installing geosynthetic reinforcement at the bottom of the embankment will provide positive support for subgrade stability and\nsettlement control, if there is a void or a weak foundation. In routine design work, the geomembrane effect must be well estimated\nand the tensile strain should be precisely predicted. Conventional analytical methods often adopt the limit state method to\ncalculate the overlying load on the deflected geosynthetic. However, this assumption does not necessarily apply to all conditions,\nespecially when the foundation soil can provide certain resistance. In this study, a semiempirical prediction method for evaluating\nthe geomembrane effect of the basal reinforcement was proposed, and an iterative solution for calculating tensile strains of a\ndeflected geosynthetic was deduced. In derivation, a virtual inclined slip surface and interaction between the geosynthetic and soil\nwere quantitatively evaluated by coupling the arching effect and the geomembrane effect. Moreover, the development of shear\nstress along the slip surface can be considered, as well as different segments of the basal reinforcement. *en, the proposed method\nwas validated by two large-scale experiments. Comparison of the results of this method with measurements and results of other\nanalytical models confirmed that this analytical method can take good care of the varying process of the localized sinking,\nregarding the overlying loads on the geosynthetic and the subsequent tensile strains.
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