This paper aims at investigating the potential benefits of using new generation of reinforcement

horizontal-vertical reinforcement(H-V)

to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. Finite element simulations of model tests were carried out to develop an understanding of influences of horizontal-vertical reinforcement on the bearing capacity

settlement

stress distribution

lateral displacement and the friction on the surface of reinforcement in horizontal-vertical reinforced soil foundation. Load-settlement response of strip footings on horizontal-vertical reinforced sand beds obtained from the numerical simulations are compared with the corresponding experimental results and the match is found to be good. The numerical simulation results show that the inclusion of horizontal-vertical reinforcement will redistribute the applied load to a wider area

thus minimizing stress concentration and achieving a more uniform stress distribution. The redistribution of stresses below the reinforced zone will result in reducing the consolidation settlement of the underlying weak sand soil

which is directly related to the induced stress. It also can be seen that the vertical inclusions of H-V reinforcement offer a strong passive resistance in the vicinity of the load

which prevents the sand particles from moving and rotating. Thus

it can be concluded that beside the tension membrane reinforcement mechanism

the vertical elements of horizontal-vertical inclusions kept the sand from being displaced under the applied load and redistributed the surcharge over a wider area. The horizontal-vertical reinforced base acts as a mattress to restrain the soil from moving upward/downward outside the loading area

redistributes the footing load over a wider area

and reduces the settlement

thereby increasing the shear strength of the composite system

which in turn substantially improves the bearing capacity of a sand bed reinforced with horizontal-vertical inclusions. In addition

failure mechanisms for horizontal-vertical reinforced soil foundations are proposed based on the finite element simulations and the results of experimental study on model footing tests conducted by the authors. Based on the beam on elastic foundation theory

vertical stress formulas that incorporate the contribution of reinforcements are then developed for horizontal-vertical reinforced foundations. The parameters such as the width

the length and the total depth of horizontal-vertical reinforcement were investigated. The predicted vertical stress values are compared with the results of finite element simulation on horizontal-vertical reinforced foundation. Good agreement is observed.