A Numerical Assessment of GRPS Foundations for High-Speed Railways on Soft Ground
Received: 23 August 2025 | Revised: 2 October 2025 | Accepted: 13 October 2025 | Online: 28 October 2025
Corresponding author: Tuan Anh Nguyen
Abstract
The development of high-speed railway lines in Vietnam is facing major challenges due to the prevalent presence of soft ground in many delta and coastal areas, necessitating effective ground improvement solutions to ensure the stability and longevity of these infrastructures. This study focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Pile-Supported (GRPS) foundation systems through numerical simulations using the Finite Element Method (FEM) with Plaxis 3D software. The study constructs models based on realistic parameters representative of the soft ground conditions in Vietnam, and provides a detailed analysis of key technical indicators, such as stress, displacement, settlement, and deformation of each component within the GRPS system. The simulation results quantify the effectiveness of the GRPS system in reducing overall settlement (average Uz reaching -109.27 mm), controlling displacement (average U at 143.38 mm), and maintaining tensile force and deformation within safe limits. These findings demonstrate that the GRPS solution significantly enhances the stability of high-speed railway foundations, while also being well-suited to the complex geological conditions typical of Vietnam, thus offering wide potential for application in modern transportation infrastructure projects.
Keywords:
soft ground, GRPS, Finite Element Method (FEM), high-speed railwayDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ha Manh Bui, Tuan Anh Nguyen, Duc Van Nguyen
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