Analytical Solutions for Stability of Geosynthetic‐Encased Stone Column‐Supported Geosynthetic‐Reinforced Embankment

ABSTRACT A novel three‐wedge limit equilibrium framework is developed to address the stability assessment of embankments reinforced with geosynthetic‐encased stone columns (GESCs) combined with basal geosynthetics. The proposed model comprises five slip surfaces and is capable of accommodating a wide range of conditions, including variable geometry, strength parameters, vertical and horizontal reinforcement, surcharge, pore water pressure, and seismic coefficients. A global factor of safety (FS) is applied consistently across all potential failure surfaces and reinforcement members, and is determined analytically by solving the sixth‐order polynomial equation. This analytical solution provides a compact form method for FS calculation. Validation against the numerical modeling and other analytical methods demonstrates a strong concordance, confirming the reliability and accuracy of the proposed method in predicting system stability and failure mechanisms. The parametric study is conducted to further guarantee the rationality of the analytical method. The parametric analysis reveals that the shear strength of the in‐situ soft soil and the horizontal seismic coefficient are the dominant factors controlling system stability, surpassing the influence of reinforcement strength and embankment geometry in many scenarios.