Avaliação da capacidade de carga de solos reforçados com a utilização da técnica solo-cimento

Abstract

In regions where soils with low bearing capacity prevail such as uncompacted sands, saturated high-plasticity clays, or collapsible soils the direct execution of shallow foundations can lead to excessive settlements and structural instabilities. The use of cement-treated soil layers as a reinforcement technique emerges as an efficient, easily applicable, and cost-effective alternative, significantly improving the geotechnical properties of the soil by increasing its strength and stiffness, thus enabling safer and more economical infrastructure solutions. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the geometry, width, and cement content of the reinforcement layer. The experiments were carried out using reduced-scale models to simulate the behavior of shallow foundations, with the aid of a Universal Testing Machine and LVDT sensors. The results showed that the addition of a cement-stabilized layer led to a significant increase in bearing capacity compared to the natural soil, reaching up to 212% improvement over the unreinforced soil. The square geometry exhibited greater resistance, while the circular shape presented a more stable and gradual behavior. The variation in reinforcement width directly influenced the mobilization of the cement-treated soil, and the cement content positively affected the stiffness and strength of the reinforcement. The observed failure modes included punching and cracking. Thus, the study reinforces the viability of cement-soil reinforcement as an effective alternative for shallow foundations in weak soils.