The global stability of geosynthetic-reinforced and pile-supported (GRPS) embankments on soft foundations is one of the great concerns for geotechnical engineers in design and construction process. The current analysis theories for the stability of GRPS embankment are essentially based on the two-dimensional limit equilibrium method under various assumptions. However, up till now, there still lack of enough consensus on the failure modes of the foundation piles as well as the geosynthetic reinforcement in GRPS embankment. Furthermore, the assumptions of the circular slip surface shape in the current methods might raise disputes over the safety factor evaluations. In order to investigate the failure mode and load transfer mechanism of GRPS embankment, a series of centrifuge model tests were conducted in this study. Results revealed that the GRPS embankment showed a progressive sliding failure pattern in the model test condition. The sliding surface in GRPS embankment presented a composite shape instead of a circular shape. For the model piles with relative low strength in the current study, bending failure obviously took place instead of shear failure. The model piles near the toe side of the embankment experienced failure firstly, followed by the piles beneath the embankment shoulder and center. The positive effect of the geosynthetic reinforcement on the embankment stability was effectively proved as the critical centrifugal acceleration of the global instability of the model embankment N_{f, global} without basal reinforcement was 22.8 g, which increased to 30.9 g and 38.7 g for other two cases involving basal reinforcement. The critical centrifugal acceleration of the model geogrid, which was larger than N_{f, global}, also increased from 32.6 to 41.6 g when the tensile strength of geogrid increased from 1.87 to 3.24 kN/m.

在软土地基上的土工合成材料加桩支撑（GRPS）路堤的全球稳定性是岩土工程师在设计和施工过程中最关心的问题之一。目前关于GRPS路堤稳定性的分析理论基本上是基于各种假设的二维极限平衡法。然而，到目前为止，对于GRPS路堤的桩基破坏模式以及土工合成材料加筋方法尚缺乏足够的共识。此外，当前方法中圆形滑动表面形状的假设可能会引起对安全系数评估的争议。为了研究GRPS路堤的破坏模式和荷载传递机理，本研究进行了一系列离心模型试验。结果显示，在模型测试条件下，GRPS路堤显示出渐进式滑动破坏模式。GRPS路堤的滑动面呈现出复合形状，而不是圆形。对于当前研究中强度相对较低的模型桩，显然发生了弯曲破坏而不是剪切破坏。路堤趾侧附近的模型桩首先遭受破坏，其次是路堤肩部和中心下方的桩。有效地证明了土工合成材料对路堤稳定性的积极影响，这是模型路堤整体失稳的临界离心加速度。GRPS路堤的滑动面呈现出复合形状，而不是圆形。对于当前研究中强度相对较低的模型桩，显然发生了弯曲破坏而不是剪切破坏。路堤趾侧附近的模型桩首先遭受破坏，其次是路堤肩部和中心下方的桩。有效地证明了土工合成材料对路堤稳定性的积极影响，这是模型路堤整体失稳的临界离心加速度。GRPS路堤的滑动面呈现出复合形状，而不是圆形。对于当前研究中强度相对较低的模型桩，显然发生了弯曲破坏而不是剪切破坏。路堤趾侧附近的模型桩首先遭受破坏，其次是路堤肩部和中心下方的桩。有效地证明了土工合成材料对路堤稳定性的积极影响，这是模型路堤整体失稳的临界离心加速度。N _f，不带基础加固的整体为22.8 g，对于其他两个涉及基础加固的病例，N _f增加到30.9 g和38.7 g。该模型土工格栅的临界离心加速度，这是大于Ñ_女，全球，也从32.6提高到41.6克时土工格栅的拉伸强度从1.87提高到3.24千牛/米。