Which interlock type has the load absorbed by bedding sand and fails when displaced?

Which interlock type has the load absorbed by bedding sand and fails when displaced?

• A. Geotextile
• B. Vertical
• C. Rotational
• D. Horizontal

Answer: (A)

Load transfer in interlocking pavements depends on how the blocks engage each other and how the bedding layer carries the load. When the design relies on the bedding sand to absorb the load and the lock between blocks is maintained by the friction and confinement in that sand layer, it’s considered horizontal interlock. In this arrangement, the system stays locked as long as the bedding sand stays in place; if the sand is displaced, the lateral confinement is lost and the pavement can unlock and fail. Geotextile isn’t an interlock mechanism itself; it’s a fabric used to separate or reinforce layers, but it doesn’t provide the locking action described here. The other interlock types involve load transfer through vertical engagement or rotational movement of the blocks, not primarily through the bedding sand.

Load transfer in interlocking pavements depends on how the blocks engage each other and how the bedding layer carries the load. When the design relies on the bedding sand to absorb the load and the lock between blocks is maintained by the friction and confinement in that sand layer, it’s considered horizontal interlock. In this arrangement, the system stays locked as long as the bedding sand stays in place; if the sand is displaced, the lateral confinement is lost and the pavement can unlock and fail. Geotextile isn’t an interlock mechanism itself; it’s a fabric used to separate or reinforce layers, but it doesn’t provide the locking action described here. The other interlock types involve load transfer through vertical engagement or rotational movement of the blocks, not primarily through the bedding sand.