Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering

Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering

Numerical and Practical Analysis of the Uplift Behavior of Plate Anchors in Reinforced Soils: Optimization of Bearing Capacity

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Seyed-Shahaboddin Shariati 1
Danial Moazzami 2
Abdollah Tabaroei 3
Arash Mahmoudi 4
1 Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
2 Faculty of Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Eshragh Institute of Higher Education, Bojnourd, Iran
4 Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
10.22060/ceej.2026.24800.8350
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of geocells and geogrids on the bearing capacity of soil subjected to plate anchor uplift loads using three-dimensional modeling in ABAQUS. A series of scenarios were analyzed, including variations in the number and spacing of geocell layers, the placement of the geogrid, the cell height of the geocell, the number of loading zones, and the eccentricity of the geocell. For this purpose, first, two numerical models built in the unreinforced and geocell-armored states, which were built in ABAQUS software, were compared and validated with the results obtained from physical modeling, and then a parametric study was conducted on important design parameters. The findings reveal that the inclusion of two geocell layers can enhance the bearing capacity by up to 30%, whereas wider spacing between the layers reduces this improvement. Incorporating a geogrid at its optimal position beneath the geocell increased the capacity by as much as 39%. Adjusting the cell height of the geocell led to a capacity variation of approximately ±13%. Moreover, doubling the number of loading zones from one to two resulted in a remarkable improvement of nearly 200%, while increasing the geocell eccentricity further enhanced the capacity by about 28%. Overall, the results highlight that the strategic selection of geocell–geogrid configurations and dimensions can markedly improve plate anchor performance, offering an effective technique for advanced geotechnical design. The results of this study can shed light on hidden aspects in the design of reinforced soil systems.
Keywords
Reinforced Soil
Geocell
Geogrid
Uplift Force
Bearing Capacity

Subjects

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Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 9
December 2025
Pages 1697-1722