Experimental evaluation on bearing performance of tire cell-geogrid reinforced subgrades

This study presents an experimental investigation of the bearing performance and deformation behavior of tire cell and tire cell-geogrid reinforced subgrades under static loading. Three physical models were tested: an unreinforced subgrade, a tire cell reinforced subgrade, and a tire cell-geogrid reinforced subgrade. Instrumentation, including pressure cells and strain gauges, was carefully calibrated to ensure accurate measurement of vertical stresses and reinforcement strains. The experiments quantified the effects of reinforcement configuration on surface settlement, vertical stress distribution within the reinforced zone. Results show that tire cells substantially reduced surface settlement and redistributed vertical stresses beneath the loading plate, while the addition of a geogrid layer further enhanced stress spreading and structural stiffness. Geogrid tensile strains peaked near the load center and gradually decreased outward, indicating the tensile force of reinforcement mobilization. Overall, the tire cell-geogrid system provided a more uniform stress field and higher load-bearing stiffness compared with the unreinforced or tire cell-only models. The observed synergistic interaction between tire cells and the geogrid highlights the potential of tire cell-geogrid reinforcement approach for sustainable subgrade stabilization in transportation engineering.