Modelling the behaviour of reinforced embankments on the peat Caroni swamp

Due to increasing agricultural activities, swamp lands are a target for extensive reclamation. Caroni Peat soil in Trinidad and Tobago has a low to very low surface bearing strength, therefore the process of reclamation should be accompanied with soil reinforcement in most cases. In order to minimize the pollution of the Caroni ecosystem, eco-friendly geotextiles should be used for reclamation purposes. A free draining embankment erected on Caroni soil was reinforced using Limited Life Geotextiles (LLGs), which are eco-friendly but biodegrade with time to investigate the behavior of an embankment reinforced with these types of geotextiles. The diminishing tensile strength in LLGs is represented by the external load, which can be manually controlled, depending on the rate of the increasing foundation shear strength. The tensile strength remaining in the geotextiles after the consolidation process was recorded and compared with the initial tensile strength.