In GCS®, the reinforcement material does not shoulder the load; instead, it acts as a confinement mechanism for the granular soil particles. By preventing individual particles from dilating, GCS® shifts the failure mode away from load-bearing failure towards shear failure. The difficulty in shearing bedrock particles contributes to the remarkable strength of GCS® pillars, requiring an impressive 22,000 lbs/sf to induce failure.
One of the key features of GCS® is the utilization of closely spaced inclusions, typically ranging between 8 to 12 inches. This close spacing significantly enhances particle confinement, prompting the failure mode to divert towards shear through the particles. A common standard solution employs 8-inch spacing coupled with woven geosynthetics boasting wide strip tensile capacities ranging from 100 to 400 pounds per foot. This combination ensures robust confinement while optimizing the structural integrity of GCS®.