Clay—Geotextile interaction in large retaining wall models

Large geotextile reinforced clay wall models were built to investigate the mechanism of clay—geotextile interaction and the effects of the geotextile reinforcement on the load-bearing capacity of the clay. A silty clay soil (CL) with an undrained strength of 25 kPa was used as backfill and a low-cost, non-woven, needle-punched geotextile as the reinforcement. No face panels were used. The wrapped back geotextile reinforcement provided the face of the wall. The wall models were tested under uniformly distributed and discrete strip loads. Vertical and horizontal displacements as well as geotextile strains were monitored. The load-bearing capacity of the clay was increased nearly two times with the geotextile reinforcement. For the interpretation of the test results total stress analysis was carried out on the active failure plane taking into account the tensile forces acting in the geotextiles reinforcing layers intersecting the failure plane. Good agreement was found between the measured and the calculated failure loads. The results of the testing programme are promising and encourage further research into the applicability of cohesive soils in geotextile-reinforced soil structures which might have great economic significance in areas where good-quality granular backfill is not readily available.     

Laboratory pull-out tests using bamboo and polymer geogrids including a case study

This study investigates the interaction between soil and geogrids by using both direct shear and pull-out tests and applied the results to a case study. A polymer geogrid and bamboo grids were used with clayey sand and weathered clay as backfill since these materials are readily available in Thailand. The results indicated that the interaction between soil and reinforcement consists of: (a) the adhesion between soil and reinforcement on the solid surface area of the geogrid; and (b) the bearing capacity of soil in front of all transverse members of the geogrids which behaved as a strip footing embedded in the soil. The proposed design procedure for pull-out resistance agreed fairly well with the laboratory pull-out test results. In addition, it was observed that bamboo grids have higher pull-out resistance per unit area than the polymer geogrids. Moreover, the cohesive fill proved to be quite effective when used with geogrid reinforcement. Finally, the proposed design procedure and test results were applied to a case study on an irrigation canal bank repaired by the Public Works Department of Thailand using cohesive backfill and Tensar SS2 geogrids resulting in much improved slope stability.     

Shear strength of geomesh reinforced clay

Consolidated undrained and consolidated drained triaxial tests were conducted on overconsolidated geomesh reinforced clay. The geomesh stiffness, number of reinforcing layers, and the confining pressure were varied. It appeared that the geomesh reinforcement enhances the strength in both the undrained and drained conditions. However, the clay-geomesh interaction is different from that known for sand. The enhanced confining stress concept is not applicable and the reinforcement stiffness does not significantly affect the strength. The A pore pressure parameter at failure is higher for reinforced than for unreinforced samples and it increases with an increasing number of reinforcing layers. The reinforcement effect in the undrained condition is due to an increase in the cohesion component of shear strength, whereas in the drained condition the effect is due to an increase in the angle of internal friction.     

加筋软岩粗粒土路堤填料大型三轴试验研究

 为研究加筋粗粒土填料的强度变形特性及加筋效果,进行加筋强风化软岩粗粒土固结不排水和固结排水大三轴试验。试验表明：加筋填料的应力–应变关系表现为应变硬化型;轴向应变较小(ea＜1%)时,加筋填料效果不明显,随着轴向应变的逐渐增大加筋效果逐渐发挥。加筋填料的孔隙水压力均高于素填料,随着加筋层数的增加均有不同程度的提高。加筋效果系数均＞1.0,一层加筋填料加筋效果系数为1.09～1.21,二层加筋填料加筋效果系数为1.30～1.71,三层加筋填料加筋效果系数为1.31～1.72。加筋前后填料的内摩擦角j基本不变,填料的黏聚力增大。加筋填料的本构关系可以用Duncan-Chang模型来描述,依据试验结果求得模型参数。     

Electrically conductive geosynthetics for consolidation and reinforced soil

The concept of electrically conductive geosynthetics (EKG) materials has recently been introduced. These materials extend the traditional functions of geosynthetic materials by incorporating electro-kinetic phenomena. Electro-kinetic geosynthetics offer technical benefits over conventional electrodes in that they can be formed as strips, sheets, blankets or three-dimensional structures. They are light and easy to install and can be structured so as not to be susceptible to electro-chemical corrosion, whilst continuing to provide conventional functions of filtration, drainage, separation, reinforcement or to act as impervious membranes. This paper describes initial laboratory tests on different types of EKG materials which can be used as combined electrodes/drains in electro-osmotic consolidation and as conductive geosynthetic reinforcement used to improve and reinforced weak cohesive soil. Results of the consolidation tests showed that the EKG electrodes were as efficient as a copper electrode and that the filtration and drainage characteristics did not deteriorate under electro-osmotic conditions. Results of the reinforced soil tests showed that EKG reinforcement can be used to increase the undrained shear strength of cohesive fill and that reinforcement/soil bond increases in proportion to the increase in shear strength.     

Laboratory evaluation of the behavior of a geotextile reinforced clay

To evaluate the behavior of cohesive soil reinforced with a geotextile, 144 unconfined and 72 unconsolidated–undrained (UU) triaxial compression tests were conducted. The moisture content of soil during remolding, relative compaction, soil type, confining pressure, type and number of geotextile layers were all varied so that the behavior of the sample could be examined. The results provide evidence that as the moisture content increases, the peak strength of both the reinforced and unreinforced samples decreases and the axial strain at failure increases. Moreover, with increasing relative compaction the peak strength of the sample and axial strain at failure increases, whereas the peak strength ratio decreases. The peak strength ratio is the ratio of the peak strength of the reinforced samples to that of the unreinforced samples. For soils with low plasticity indices the main cause of the increase in the strength is the increase in the cohesion of the reinforced sample. However, in soils of higher plasticity index, as the number of geotextile layers increases, the internal friction angle of the reinforced samples increases.     

Effects of Geosynthetic Reinforcement Type on the Strength and Stiffness of Reinforced Sand in Plane Strain Compression

The effects of geosynthetic reinforcement type on the strength and stiffness of reinforced sand were evaluated by performing a series of drained plane strain compression tests on large sand specimens. The reinforcement type is described in terms of the degree of unification of the constituting components (for geocomposites) as well as the tensile strength and stiffness, the covering ratio and others (for geocomposites and geogrids). Sand specimens reinforced with different geosynthetic reinforcement types exhibited significantly different reinforcing effects. A geocomposite made of a woven geotextile sheet sandwiched firmly with two sheets of non-woven geotextile, having a 100% effective covering ratio, exhibited reinforcing effects higher than typical stiff and strong geogrids. With some geocomposite types, the reinforcing effects increase substantially by better unifying longitudinally arranged stiff and strong yarns and non-woven geotextile sheets. When fixed firm to the yarns, the non-woven geotextile sheets function like the transversal members of a geogrid by locally transmitting load activated by interaction with the backfill to the yarns. These geocomposites can exhibit reinforcing effects equivalent to those with stiff and strong geogrids. Local strain fields of the specimens are presented to show that, for reinforced sand, the peak stress state reached is always associated with the development of shear band(s) in the sand and a higher peak strength is achieved when the strain localisation starts at a larger global axial strain due to better reinforcing effects.     

土工织物加筋堤坝软基的非线性分析

通过非线性有限单元法分析了堤坝下软基土工织物的加筋效果,土与土工织物的界面强度对加筋效果的影响,多层土工织物的加筋效果等问题,得出了最优加筋层数、加筋垫层应力扩散效果等一系列对工程设计有用的结论     

Cyclic behaviour of dry silty sand reinforced with a geotextile

Recent studies on construction material technology have indicated that soil reinforcement improves resistance of soil against compression and tension. Due to the wide use of geotextile reinforcement in road construction, the potential benefit of geotextile reinforcement in cyclic loading should be investigated. In this study we performed a series of cyclic triaxial tests to examine dry silty sand reinforced with geotextile when subjected to dynamic loading. These tests were conducted on reinforced and unreinforced dry sand and sand mixed with varying amounts of silt (0–50%). The main factors affecting the cyclic behaviour, such as the arrangement and number of geotextile layers, confined pressure and silt content are examined and discussed in this paper. The results indicate that geotextile inclusion and increased confining pressure increase the axial modulus and decreased cyclic ductility of dry sand for all silt contents examined. Also, it was found that by increasing the silt content by up to about 35 percent the axial modulus in reinforced and unreinforced sand is decreased and cyclic ductility increased. With further increases in silt content, these values are increased for cyclic axial modulus and decreased for cyclic ductility.     

Triaxial extension and tension tests on lime-cement-improved clay

This paper presents the results of a series of undrained and drained isotropic consolidated triaxial extension, tension and compression laboratory tests on lime-cement-improved very soft clay. The main objective of these tests was to investigate the material strength and stiffness properties for stress conditions similar to those expected on the passive side of excavations where a retaining structure is supported by Deep Mixing columns. The different stress paths to failure were obtained by varying the directions of the major and minor principal stresses in a conventional triaxial test cell. The undrained tests conducted at low consolidation stresses, corresponding to depths of approximately 0–10 m below the ground surface, revealed significant differences in undrained strength depending on the directions of the major and minor principal stresses, indicating anisotropic material behavior. Based on the undrained triaxial test results, the relationship among the undrained strength, the effective consolidation stress and the over-consolidation ratio (OCR) is presented for different stress paths to failure.The experimental data from the drained tests show that a failure surface comprised of a shear failure function based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and a tensile failure function based on the tensile strength and the confining stress can be applied for lime-cement-stabilized clay.     

Experimental and theoretical studies on the ultimate bearing capacity of geogrid-reinforced sand

Geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) structures have gained popularity in replacing concrete rigid piles as abutments to support medium or small-spanned bridge superstructures in recent years. This study conducted 13 model tests to investigate the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass when sand was used as backfill soil. The GRS mass was constructed and loaded to failure under a plane strain condition. Test results were compared with two analytical solutions available in literature. This study also proposed an analytical model for predicting the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass based on the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The failure surface of the GRS mass was described by the Rankine failure surface. The effects of compaction and reinforcement tension were equivalent to increased confining pressures to account for the reinforcing effects of the geosynthetic reinforcement. The proposed model was verified by the results of the model tests conducted in this study and reported in literature. Results indicated that the proposed model was more capable of predicting the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass than the other two analytical solutions available in literature. The proposed model can be used to predict the ultimate bearing capacity of GRS structures when sand was used as backfill material. In addition, a parametric study was conducted to investigate the effects of friction angle of backfill soil, reinforcement spacing, reinforcement strength, and reinforcement stiffness on the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass calculated with and without compaction effects. Results showed that the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass was significantly affected by the friction angle of backfill soil, reinforcement spacing and strength. Compaction effects resulted in an increase in the ultimate bearing capacity of the GRS mass.     

土工织物加筋土的土压力减轻作用试验研究

通过在研制改进的固结试验仪上 ,进行一系列考虑土工织物埋置在土中不同位置时加筋土的单轴固结试验及三轴K0 固结试验和不排水剪切试验 ,从静止土压力系数的变化 ,探讨了土中埋置有土工织物的加筋土层的土压力减轻作用及剪切强度的增加作用。得出了土工织物的数量、放置形式和超固结比的不同对土压力变化的影响规律 ,为加筋土边坡稳定分析提供了有意义的参考依据     

土工格栅界面摩擦特性试验研究

土工格栅与土的界面作用特性直接影响着加筋土挡墙的安全与稳定性。因此,土工格栅与填料的界面技术指标在加筋土挡墙的设计中至关重要。本文在从试验方法、加载方式、试验箱侧壁边界效应和尺寸效应、填料厚度、压实度以及筋材夹持状况等几方面分析土工格栅界面摩擦特性影响因素基础上,进行了土工格栅在砂砾料和粘性土中的拉拔试验和直剪试验。试验结果表明:土工格栅与砂砾料接触面抗剪强度较高,而与粘土接触面抗剪强度很低;对于加筋土挡墙拉拔力较大的层位,应选用刚度大的土工格栅和砂砾料为填料。直剪摩擦试验不适合确定土工格栅接触面的抗剪强度。该试验结果对土工格栅加筋土挡土墙的设计具有重要的参考价值。     

强夯法加固地基的质量缺陷原因与处理

强夯法常用来加固碎石土、砂土、粘性土、杂细土等各类地基 ,可以提高地基的强度并降低其压缩性 ,改善其抗振动液化能力和消除土的湿陷性。在火力发电厂的堆煤场、油罐等构筑物的地基处理中 ,有成功应用的例子。但在雨水充沛的广东地区 ,新建变电站的地基加固中 ,采用强夯法来加固新回填粘土的地基 ,尚属首次。本文就强夯法加固效果方面存在的一些质量缺陷 ,进行原因分析 ,并结合实际 ,提出了切实可行的处理方法 ,可供类似工程借鉴     

经编和玻纤格栅加筋粘性土的三轴试验研究

对经编格栅和玻纤格栅加筋粘性土进行不固结不排水的三轴压缩试验。试验结果表明,在粘性土体上布置格栅筋材,都能提高土体强度,但不同的筋材,其加筋效果是不一样的,经编格栅加筋土的加筋效果要优于玻纤格栅加筋土。加筋层数越多,加筋效果越好;随着加筋土应力增加,加筋土抵抗变形的作用才能得到更充分发挥,土体加筋效果更明显。不同筋材的加筋土,其粘聚力与内摩擦角的变化规律不一致;玻纤格栅和经编格栅加筋粘性土的加筋效果与砂土不同,不仅表现在粘聚力的增加上,还表现在内摩擦角的增加上。加强筋条结点连接的牢固性,能够提高加筋效果。     

Interfacial shear strength of fiber reinforced soil

The interfacial mechanical interaction between the reinforcement and soil matrix is a key factor in controlling the engineering properties of reinforced soil. To evaluate the factors affecting the interfacial strength properties of polypropylene fiber (PP-fiber) reinforced soil, single fiber pull-out tests were performed by using a modified special apparatus. It has been found that the designed pull-out test is an efficient method to qualitatively obtain the interfacial peak strength (IPS) and interfacial residual strength (IRS) of fiber/soil. Both the IPS and IRS decrease with water content increase, while increase with increasing soil dry density. The cement inclusions dramatically improve the interfacial shear strength of fiber/soil, and the IPS and IRS increase with an increase in additives content and curing time. Finally, by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the micromechanical interaction behavior between soil particles and fiber reinforcement were discussed. The interfacial shear resistance of fiber/soil depends primarily on the rearrangement resistance of soil particles, effective interface contact area, fiber surface roughness and soil compositions, etc.     

Shear strength behavior of clayey soil reinforced with polypropylene fibers under drained and undrained conditions

The fundamental mechanisms controlling shear strength and deformability behavior of clay-fiber mixtures have still not been well established, nor the constraints that may affect their performance of shearing under different drainage conditions. This study aims to understand the behavior of a clay soil mixed with polypropylene fibers using results from drained and undrained triaxial compression tests, and to provide necessary calibration data for a shear strength prediction model. In drained tests, shear strength increased with fiber inclusion for a given mean effective stress, represented by an increase in apparent cohesion. In the undrained tests, the shear strength was not affected by pore water pressure generation. Results from the drained and undrained tests indicate that the fiber content had a greater influence on the apparent cohesion than on the friction angle. Drainage affected the improvement in the peak shear strength of fiber-reinforced soils, with superior improvement in the drained tests. As the percent improvement in shear strength decreased with increasing effective confining stresses for both tests, the difference in behavior in the drained and undrained tests was attributed to the strain at failure, with failure occurring at large strains in the drained tests but at smaller strains in the undrained tests.     

Centrifuge model studies on desiccation cracking behaviour of fiber-reinforced expansive clay

In this study, randomly distributed fiber reinforcement on the desiccation cracking behavior of expansive clay was investigated. Modeling considerations for the desiccation cracking behavior of unreinforced and fiber-reinforced clay was established using dimensional analysis. A custom-designed setup consisting of a specimen container, heating assembly, and digital image acquisition system was designed, calibrated, and used in the present study. A series of desiccation cracking tests were performed on unreinforced and fiber-reinforced expansive clay in a balanced beam geotechnical centrifuge. The test setup performance was evaluated by conducting tests at varying gravity levels and performing modeling of models. Digital image analysis and particle image velocimetry techniques were used to obtain qualitative information about the cracking of clay under the influence of fiber reinforcement and the varying thickness of the clay layers. The specimens reinforced with fibers exhibited improved cracking resistance than unreinforced clay specimens. The results indicate that the desiccation cracking of clays can be successfully modeled in a geotechnical centrifuge, highlighting the fact that this study is the first-ever such study. This knowledge can be used to study the behavior of critical geotechnical structures, especially clay barriers of landfill cover subjected to desiccation cracking.     

粘性填粘加筋土挡墙设计方法研究

对于粘性填料的加筋土挡墙的内部稳定分析,考虑其破裂面形状为园弧滑面,且筋带受力沿筋带埋置深度呈线性分布,导出了拉筋受力、筋带长度的计算公式。用该公式进行设计更符合粘性填料加筋土挡墙的实际情况,也可节约筋材。