1-M Radius Centrifuge Experiments: Seismic response of soft soil reinforced with soil-cement grid - Construction procedure

One challenge for the centrifuge model tests in this research was the soil-cement grid construction. In the soil-cement grid reinforcement, transfer of loads between panels requires a proper connection linking perpendicular elements. A series of small centrifuge tests were performed for refining the design and establishing the model construction procedures of the larger and more detailed models with the 9.1-m radius centrifuge.
In these series of tests, a model soil profile was subjected to a series of small to medium intensity shaking events (unreinforced model) to establish the baseline untreated response. The same soil profile was then reinforced with soil-cement panels and was further subjected to a similar series of ground motions in the second test (Reinforced Model). All the models were tested at a 50g gravitational acceleration field.
The soil profile consisted of 6-m thick layer of coarse kaolinite (Hydrite Flat DS, manufactured by the Imerys Company) overlain by 1-m thick saturated dense sand (Dr≈90%) for drainage purpose. A thin layer of wet sand was placed on the surface to prevent drying the clay surface during the spinning (Figure 1, 3, and 5). The second soil model has the same soil profile but it was reinforced with Soil-Cement Grid with different configurations.