Geocells are three-dimensional, interconnected cellular geosynthetics widely used to enhance the overall strength of soils. Their foldable structure can cause variations in pocket shape during installation, depending on the extent of extension. Understanding the impact of these shape variations is essential for optimizing reinforcement efficiency and reducing the associated geocell application costs. The aspect ratio, defined as the ratio of the cell's transverse (welded) axis to the longitudinal (wall summit) axis, is proposed to evaluate the degree of extension of the most commonly utilized honeycomb-shaped geocell. A coupled continuum-discontinuum numerical method was employed to investigate the behavior of honeycomb-shaped geocell reinforced soils across various aspect ratios under confined compressive loading. The simulation results indicate that a geocell with an aspect ratio of 1.0 exhibits optimal reinforcement efficiency, and whereas reinforcement efficiency decreases as the aspect ratio deviates from 1.0 causing pocket geometries to flatten. The superior performance of rounded geocells is attributed to their enhanced ability to promote load-bearing in strong contact subnetworks. This results in denser packing structures, higher contact force anisotropy from a microscopic perspective, and greater confinement capacity against deformation from a macroscopic perspective.

Through extensive laboratory experiments on unsaturated soils, it has been discovered that particle shape and matric suction significantly influence their mechanical properties. Prior studies have typically examined these factors individually and from a macroscopic perspective. In this study, the aspect ratio is utilized as a representative parameter for particle shape. Employing the Hill constitutive model, a series of triaxial shear numerical experiments of simulations on unsaturated soil were conducted. The results indicate a non-linear relationship between peak deviator stress and aspect ratio, with peak deviator stress initially increasing, then decreasing, and reaching its maximum at an aspect ratio of 1.2. The patterns observed in friction angle, cohesion, and critical stress ratio in relation to aspect ratio mirror those seen in peak deviator stress, with the friction angle exhibiting fluctuations as the particle aspect ratio increases. At a matric suction of 0 kPa, changes in particle shape have a negligible impact on mechanical properties. However, as matric suction increases, the volumetric strain's dilatancy turning point is advanced, and the effect of particle shape becomes progressively more pronounced. Under varying conditions of particle shape and matric suction, the alteration in bedding angle affects the peak deviator stress and stress ratio, albeit the extent of this influence is limited.

In general, pile foundations are utilized to support structures like tall buildings, bridges, and transmission towers, which are frequently subjected to lateral stresses initiated by wind, action of waves, earthquakes, or traffic loads. Several high-rise structures, highway and railroad overpasses, as well as transmission towers, are constructed near slopes and rely on pile foundations for support. Due to the effects of wind and waves, pile foundations are continuously subjected to cyclic loads. For piles supporting tall buildings, transmission towers, offshore structures, or infrastructure in seismic zones, 1-way or 2-way cyclic lateral loads are commonly applied. Therefore, while designing pile foundations, it is essential to understand how piles behave laterally when they are located near a sloping crest. One of the primary challenges in ensuring the efficient functioning of the superstructure is analyzing how the soil and foundations respond when exposed to long-term lateral loads, such as wind, over an extended period on the piles of offshore platforms. Because of the presence of slope, the pile's lateral load capacity decreased due to the reduced ability of the soil to provide passive resistance. This paper presents small-scale 1-g model tests conducted on the sand to assess the loss of pile's lateral capacity when subjected to 100 cycles under 1 and 2-way cyclic loading. The Relative Density (60%) and varying slopes (Horizontal ground, 1V:3H) with varying spacing (5D and 7D) and aspect ratios (L/D) of 25 and 40 were implemented in this study. Cyclic lateral load tests were performed for sloping as well as horizontal ground. A major reduction in lateral capacity, exceeding 60%, was observed due to the application of cyclic loading. Moreover, the transition from horizontal ground (HG) to sloping ground (SG) decreased the maximum bending moment by 25-40%. This study exemplifies the piles' behaviour when subjected to cyclic lateral loading while resting on a sloping crest, which represents a critical scenario in pile foundation design.