Vibration isolation behavior of EPS reinforced highway embankments

Abstract

As a kind of light-weight embankment fill, EPS can lighten the self-gravity of embankment and diminish the additional stress to the subgrade. The settlement of embankment can be controlled without treating soft foundation. As a kind of fill material behind the abutment, EPS can reduce differential settlements and avoid bump at bridge-head. Otherwise, one of the most important properties of EPS is bigger damping ratio, so it plays certain role in vibration isolation. The deformation properties of general fill material and EPS under self-gravity and vehicle dynamic loads are respectively analyzed through commercial finite element computer program ABAQUS in this paper. From the result, we can conclude that settlement of the subgrade is reduced much more using EPS material than using general fill material. Under vehicle dynamic loads, the incidence of dynamic deformation gets smaller and EPS has certain vibration isolation property. EPS fill material with light weight plays certain role in diminishing the differential settlement of embankment, releasing bump at bridge-head and reducing the dynamic deformation induced by dynamic loads. So EPS has certain application value and will be used widely in highway construction.