Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
1. In the introduction part of the paper, the research status of deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankment is introduced, but the introduction of settlement deformation is less. It is suggested to supplement the main problems existing in the current research.
2. Section 2.1 introduces the geological conditions of the test section and the main mechanical parameters of the soil layer, but does not describe the thickness and specific distribution of the soil layer in the test section. It is suggested to supplement the geological profile of the test section.
3. Mentioned in 3.1.2 “The main reason is that the embankment height of section V is low, the additional load is small .……” The representation is inaccurate. It is suggested to replace “additional load” with “embankment load”.
4. It is suggested to further analyze the calculation method of membrane effect in each specification from the theoretical aspect in section 3.3.3.
Author Response
Dear Editor and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation”. Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in yellow in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewers’ comments are as flowing:
Point 1: In the introduction part of the paper, the research status of deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankment is introduced, but the introduction of settlement deformation is less. It is suggested to supplement the main problems existing in the current research.
Response: According to the opinions of reviewer, the relevant research contents on settlement of pile-supported embankment and the main problems existing in the current research have been supplemented in the paper.
Line 71-96: “Research regarding the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments has also been carried out. Girout[13], Zhu[14] studied the influence of geosynthetics on the deformation of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a model test. Cui[15], CHEN Yun-Min[16] explained the variation law of embankment settlements through the model test. And analyzed the settlement distribution law and vertical stress distribution characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments. Reshma[17] studied the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a centrifugal model test. It was found that the deformation of an embankment with end-bearing piles was significantly smaller than that of an embankment that did not have pile-penetrating soft soil. Based on research surrounding field tests, Briancon[18] analyzed the load transfer mechanism and settlement deformation law of embankments. R. P. Chen[19] showed that substratum settlements account for a large proportion of the total settlement in an embankment, and the proportion of substratum settlement can be reduced by changing the pile length, and then the total settlement can be controlled. Cao[20] studied the reinforcement effect and mechanism of pile-supported reinforcement technology in medium–low compressible soil and analyzed the deformation characteristics of foundation settlements and reinforced cushions. Zhang[21] studied the working behavior of pile-supported reinforced embankments in bridge head sections. The results showed that a pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control the levels of uneven settlement between a pavement and a bridge deck, improve the stability of an embankment, and solve the problem known as bridge head bumps. Although many scholars have studied the settlement deformation of pile-supported embankments, it shows that pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control subgrade settlement. However, there is no systematic study on the settlement law of cross section and longitudinal section of pile-supported embankment.” was re-edited.
Point 2: Section 2.1 introduces the geological conditions of the test section and the main mechanical parameters of the soil layer, but does not describe the thickness and specific distribution of the soil layer in the test section. It is recommended to supplement the geological profile of the test section.
Response: According to the opinions of the reviewer, the schematic diagram of the distribution of foundation soil layer has been supplemented in Section 2.1.
Point 3: Mentioned in 3.1.2 “The main reason is that the embankment height of section V is low, the additional load is small .……” The representation is inaccurate.It is suggested to replace “additional load” with “embankment load”.
Response: According to the opinions of reviewer, the statements of “additional load” were corrected as “embankment load”
Point 4: It is suggested to further analyze the calculation method of membrane effect in each specification from the theoretical aspect in section 3.3.3.
Response: According to the reviewer's opinion, the application of membrane effect has been further explained in Section 3.3.3
Line 452-465: “Most standards adopt the tensile membrane theory in the calculation of tensile stress. However, due to the use of different calculation models for the determination of the soil arching effect, the calculation results regarding reinforcement force are quite different. The German Standard considers the supporting force of soil between piles and the tensile stiffness of reinforced materials. In the calculation, the average compressive stress on the cushion is converted to the triangular-distributed load on the strip between piles, and the maximum stress on the reinforcement is assumed to occur in the width range of the pile cap. According to the vertical force balance of the reinforcement in the width range, the average strain of the reinforcement can be determined. Although the German Standard does not need to assume the deformation curve of the reinforcement, which is a relatively more reasonable method of describing the deformation of the reinforcement, it determines the average strain of the reinforcement and cannot reflect the stress of the reinforcement along the length direction. ” was added.
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The article titled "Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation" is interesting. However, the reviewer suggests the authors revise the English language, as there are parts of the paper that are not understood. In addition, some grammatical errors need to be corrected.
Regarding the references, the authors should include the DOI of each one.
Author Response
Dear Editor and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation”. Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in yellow in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewers’ comments are as flowing:
- the reviewer suggests the authors revise the English language, as there are parts of the paper that are not understood. In addition, some grammatical errors need to be corrected.
Response: Based on the reviewers' comments, the paper has been revised by professional English-language editors.
- Regarding the references, the authors should include the DOI of each one.
Response: According to the opinions of reviewer, the DOI has been supplemented in the references.
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper entitled ‘Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation’ aims to assess the settlement deformation of the soft soil subgrade and the deformation law of the geogrid.
Overall, the paper is well-structured and organized.
However, this reviewer has some concerns regarding the revision and rigorousness. Throughout the manuscript, there are some long sentences that worsen the legibility of the manuscript and several grammatical errors. Moreover, the quality of the figures is rather poor. Typos errors denote that the paper has not been properly revised and edited. Concerning the English level, the paper is suggested to be reviewed by a native speaker.
The references list is rather short and old. This highlights one of the main drawbacks of this paper, which is the novelty or originality. The introduction section is rather confusing and it should be re-edited.
It is not clear how the tests were performed since there is a lack of information on the description of the procedure.
Author Response
Dear Editor and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation”. Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in yellow in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewers’ comments are as flowing:
- this reviewer has some concerns regarding the revision and rigorousness. Throughout the manuscript, there are some long sentences that worsen the legibility of the manuscript and several grammatical errors. Moreover, the quality of the figures is rather poor. Typos errors denote that the paper has not been properly revised and edited. Concerning the English level, the paper is suggested to be reviewed by a native speaker.
Response: Based on the reviewers' comments, the paper has been revised by professional English-language editors.
- The references list is rather short and old. This highlights one of the main drawbacks of this paper, which is the novelty or originality. The introduction section is rather confusing and it should be re-edited.
Response: According to the reviewers' comments, the introduction has been re-edited. The research status of pile supported reinforced embankment in recent years is sorted out, and the main problems in the current research are summarized.
Line 45-56: “Ghosh[3] proposed a mechanical model for a double-layer, geosynthetic-reinforced, pile-supported embankment. Zhao Minghua[4] comprehensively considered the interaction between each component of pile-supported reinforced embankments, and used large deflection thin plate theory to analyze the mechanical characteristics of reinforced cushion. Abusharar[5] considered the role of shear stress on reinforcement, and then, combined with the relationship between the geometric size and the deformation of the reinforcement, the functional relationship between the tensile force and the deformation of the reinforcement was established. Finally, the deformation of the reinforcement was determined using the equilibrium equation. Zhuang Yan[6] assumed that the deformation shape of the reinforcement was similar to the elliptical parabolic surface and deduced the deformation expression of the reinforcement according to the three-dimensional deformation characteristics of the reinforcement.……” was re-edited.
Line 71-106 “ Research regarding the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments has also been carried out. Girout[13], Zhu[14] studied the influence of geosynthetics on the deformation of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a model test. Cui[15], CHEN Yun-Min[16] explained the variation law of embankment settlements through the model test. And analyzed the settlement distribution law and vertical stress distribution characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments. Reshma[17] studied the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a centrifugal model test. It was found that the deformation of an embankment with end-bearing piles was significantly smaller than that of an embankment that did not have pile-penetrating soft soil. Based on research surrounding field tests, Briancon[18] analyzed the load transfer mechanism and settlement deformation law of embankments. R. P. Chen[19] showed that substratum settlements account for a large proportion of the total settlement in an embankment, and the proportion of substratum settlement can be reduced by changing the pile length, and then the total settlement can be controlled. Cao[20] studied the reinforcement effect and mechanism of pile-supported reinforcement technology in medium–low compressible soil and analyzed the deformation characteristics of foundation settlements and reinforced cushions. Zhang[21] studied the working behavior of pile-supported reinforced embankments in bridge head sections. The results showed that a pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control the levels of uneven settlement between a pavement and a bridge deck, improve the stability of an embankment, and solve the problem known as bridge head bumps. Although many scholars have studied the settlement deformation of pile-supported embankments, it shows that pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control subgrade settlement. However, there is no systematic study on the settlement law of cross section and longitudinal section of pile-supported embankment.
Therefore, based on a field test carried out on the pile-supported reinforced embankment in the Rongwu Expressway in Xiong’an New Area, in this paper, we studied the settlement deformation of a soft-soil embankment and the deformation of a geogrid reinforcement during the construction period and 5 months after the completion of its construction. The reinforcement area and the substratum settlements of horizontal and vertical sections of the pile-supported reinforced embankment, as well as the tensile deformation of the geogrid reinforcement at the center of two piles and four piles, were systematically analyzed. Then, according to the Chinese Standard, British Standard, German Standard, and Nordic Guidelines, the evaluation index of the geogrid was calculated, and the calculation results for each standard were compared and analyzed.” was re-edited.
- It is not clear how the tests were performed since there is a lack of information on the description of the procedure.
Response: When conducting a field test, the first step is to embed monitoring elements on the observation point according to the field test design. Then record the test data regularly. Monitoring elements can automatically collect and transmit measurement data.
In Section 2.2, lines 138-151, the layout of the monitoring elements is described. According to the reviewer's comments, in lines 152-161, the data collection process was supplemented.
Line 152-161:
“Field test data acquisition met the following requirements:
(1)Before embankment filling, all of the buried sensors were retested, and the measured value was the initial reading;
(2)During the embankment filling, the data from all of the monitoring points were collected once a day. The daily data collection time was fixed to ensure the same time interval was used;
(3)After the embankment filling was completed to the end of the observation period, measurement was carried out every 3 days;
(4)The monitoring data were sorted in a timely manner, and retests were caried out if the data change was large. ” was added.
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
The manuscript entitled "Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation” studied the settlement deformation of the soft soil subgrade and the deformation law of the geogrid of an existing pile-supported reinforced embankment of the Rongwu Expressway in Xiong’an New Area.
1- This manuscript looks like a case study or a report, not an article.
2- The technical writing is poor and the manuscript cannot be accepted in the current format. Therefore, the manuscript could benefit greatly from professional editing to improve technical writing and English.
3- Lines 79-82: The main purpose of this study is not clear. The authors should expand the literature to provide more previous related research to highlight how their study is providing a different approach or adding significantly to what has been done.
4- How did the authors obtain the Engineering properties of the soil layer in the test section in Table 1?
5- Line 136: I think it should be "sections", not "section".
6- Figures: The authors are talking about settlement in this section. However, the caption of the vertical axis in this figure is "Sedimentation", which is weird to this reviewer. This should be corrected throughout the manuscript.
7- Lines 186-190: These conclusions are general and based only on one case study. These conclusions should be supported by previous studies or numerical analysis.
8- The authors provided valuable field data. However, this reviewer believes that additional numerical analysis and parametric study will provide more value.
Author Response
Dear Editor and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Field Test on Deformation Characteristics of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment in Soft Soil Foundation”. Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in yellow in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewers’ comments are as flowing:
- The technical writing is poor and the manuscript cannot be accepted in the current format. Therefore, the manuscript could benefit greatly from professional editing to improve technical writing and English.
Response: Based on the reviewers' comments, the paper has been revised by professional English-language editors.
- Lines 79-82: The main purpose of this study is not clear. The authors should expand the literature to provide more previous related research to highlight how their study is providing a different approach or adding significantly to what has been done.
Response: Based on the reviewers' comments, the introduction has been revised. The introduction mainly introduces the reinforcement deformation and settlement deformation of pile-supported reinforced embankment. And summarizes the main problems existing in the current research, as well as the innovation of this paper.
Line 71-106: “ Research regarding the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments has also been carried out. Girout[13], Zhu[14] studied the influence of geosynthetics on the deformation of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a model test. Cui[15], CHEN Yun-Min[16] explained the variation law of embankment settlements through the model test. And analyzed the settlement distribution law and vertical stress distribution characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments. Reshma[17] studied the deformation characteristics of pile-supported reinforced embankments through a centrifugal model test. It was found that the deformation of an embankment with end-bearing piles was significantly smaller than that of an embankment that did not have pile-penetrating soft soil. Based on research surrounding field tests, Briancon[18] analyzed the load transfer mechanism and settlement deformation law of embankments. R. P. Chen[19] showed that substratum settlements account for a large proportion of the total settlement in an embankment, and the proportion of substratum settlement can be reduced by changing the pile length, and then the total settlement can be controlled. Cao[20] studied the reinforcement effect and mechanism of pile-supported reinforcement technology in medium–low compressible soil and analyzed the deformation characteristics of foundation settlements and reinforced cushions. Zhang[21] studied the working behavior of pile-supported reinforced embankments in bridge head sections. The results showed that a pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control the levels of uneven settlement between a pavement and a bridge deck, improve the stability of an embankment, and solve the problem known as bridge head bumps. Although many scholars have studied the settlement deformation of pile-supported embankments, it shows that pile-supported reinforced embankment can effectively control subgrade settlement. However, there is no systematic study on the settlement law of cross section and longitudinal section of pile-supported embankment.
Therefore, based on a field test carried out on the pile-supported reinforced embankment in the Rongwu Expressway in Xiong’an New Area, in this paper, we studied the settlement deformation of a soft-soil embankment and the deformation of a geogrid reinforcement during the construction period and 5 months after the completion of its construction. The reinforcement area and the substratum settlements of horizontal and vertical sections of the pile-supported reinforced embankment, as well as the tensile deformation of the geogrid reinforcement at the center of two piles and four piles, were systematically analyzed. Then, according to the Chinese Standard, British Standard, German Standard, and Nordic Guidelines, the evaluation index of the geogrid was calculated, and the calculation results for each standard were compared and analyzed.” was re-edited.
- How did the authors obtain the Engineering properties of the soil layer in the test section in Table 1?
Response: Before the design and construction of the highway, it is necessary to investigate the geological conditions of the location of the line. The physical and mechanical indexes of the main stratum are determined by analyzing the soil from the borehole. The foundation soil layer information in Table 1 comes from geological survey.
Line 113-114: “ The main physical and mechanical parameters of the foundation soil layer were obtained through geological survey, as shown in Table 1.” was added.
- Line 136: I think it should be "sections", not "section".
Response: The manuscript has been revised according to the reviewers' comments.
- Figures: The authors are talking about settlement in this section. However, the caption of the vertical axis in this figure is "Sedimentation", which is weird to this reviewer. This should be corrected throughout the manuscript.
Response: All figures in the manuscript have been checked and modified according to the reviewers' comments.
- Lines 186-190: These conclusions are general and based only on one case study. These conclusions should be supported by previous studies or numerical analysis.The authors provided valuable field data. However, this reviewer believes that additional numerical analysis and parametric study will provide more value.
Response: In order to further study the deformation characteristics and load transfer mechanism of pile supported reinforced embankment, the author have carried out numerical simulation research based on field tests, and written papers.
Published papers:
[1] Xin Wang, Xizhao Wang, Guangqing Yang, and Yiming Zong. “Study on Load Transfer Mechanism of Pile-Supported Embankment Based on Response Surface Method,” Applied sciences, vol.12, 20 pages, 2022.
[2] YANG Guang-qing, WANG Xin, WANG Xi Zhao, JIN Jin Zhao, ZHANG Chao. Field Test on Mechanical Behavior of Pile-supported Embankment in Soft Soil Area. Chinese Journal of Geotechnical Engineering. On line, pp.1-8,2022-06-13.
[3] Research on Load Transfer Law of Cross-Section of Pile-Supported Reinforced Embankment Based on Finite Element Method. (Submitted)
The main idea of this paper is to study the settlement deformation and geogrid deformation of soft soil subgrade based on field tests carried out on the pile-supported reinforced embankment in the Rongwu Expressway in Xiong’an New Area. If numerical simulations are added, the paper will be too long. Therefore, the main part of this paper is to analyze the field test results.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The authors have made all the suggested changes by the reviewer. Then, this paper may be considered for publication.
Reviewer 3 Report
All the comments have been adressed. The paper can now be published in the journal.
Reviewer 4 Report
The authors have addressed all the reviewer's comments.
