Abstract
The tests on the shear property of geocell reinforced soils were carried out by using large-scale direct shear equipment with shear-box-dimensions of 500 mm×500 mm×400 mm (length×width×height). Three types of specimens, silty gravel soil, geocell reinforced silty gravel soil and geocell reinforced cement stabilizing silty gravel soil were used to investigate the shear stress-displacement behavior, the shear strength and the strengthening mechanism of geocell reinforced soils. The comparisons of large-scale shear test with triaxial compression test for the same type of soil were conducted to evaluate the influences of testing method on the shear strength as well. The test results show that the unreinforced soil and geocell reinforced soil give similar nonlinear features on the behavior of shear stress and displacement. The geocell reinforced cement stabilizing soil has a quasi-elastic characteristic in the case of normal stress coming up to 1.0 GPa. The tests with the reinforcement of geocell result in an increase of 244% in cohesion, and the tests with the geocell and the cement stabilization result in an increase of 10 times in cohesion compared with the unreinforced soil. The friction angle does not change markedly. The geocell reinforcement develops a large amount of cohesion on the shear strength of soils.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
DASH S K, SIREESH S, SITHARAM T G. Model studies on circular footing supported on geocell reinforced sand underlain by soft clay [J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2003, 21(4): 197–219.
YAN Chang-gen, YANG Xiao-hua, SHI Yu-ling, QI Sheng-wen. Testing and application of geocell in loess slopes of highway [J]. Chinese Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, 2006, 25(S1): 3235–3238. (in Chinese)
DASH S K, KRISHNASWAMY N R, RAJAOPAL K. Bearing capacity of strip footings supported on geocell-reinforced sand [J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2001, 19(4): 235–256.
BATHURST R J, CROWE R E. Recent case histories of flexible geocell retaining walls in North America [C]// TATSUOKA F, LESHCHINSKY D. The International Symposium on Recent Case Histories of Permanent Geosynthetic-reinforced Soil Retaining Walls. Rotterdam: Balkema, 1994: 17–29.
MHAISKAR S Y, MANDAL J N. Investigations on soft clay subgrade strengthening using geocells [J]. Construction and Building Materials, 1996, 10(4): 281–286.
BATHURST R J, JARRETT P. Large-scale model tests of geocomposite mattresses over peat subgrades [C]// ASTM Transportation Research Record 1188. Washington: Transportation Research Board, 1989: 28–36.
ASTM D 5321-02. Standard Test method for determining the coefficient of soil and geosynthetic or geosynthetic and geosynthetic friction by the direct shear method [S]. Pennsylvania: West Conshohocken, 2002.
BATHURST R J, KAPPURAPU R. Large-scale triaxial compression testing of geocell-reinforced granular soils [J]. Geotechnical Testing Journal, 1993, 16: 296–303.
RAJAGOPAL K, KRISHNASWAMY N R, LATHA G M. Behavior of sand confined with single and multiple geocells [J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 1999, 17(3): 171–184.
LATHA G M, RAJAGOPAL K, KRISHNASWAMY N R. Experimental and theoretical investigations on geocell-supported embankments [J]. International Journal of Geomechanics, 2006, 6(1):30–35.
LATHA G M, MURTHY T G. Effects of reinforcement form on the behavior of geosynthetic reinforced sand [J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2007, 25(1): 23–32.
MENGELT M. Resilient modulus and plastic deformation of soil confined in a geocell [J]. Geosynthetics International, 2006(13): 195–205.
LIU Xiao-li, LUO Jin-tian, MIN Hong, DENG Jian-hui, THAM L G. A new large direct shear apparatus for field and laboratory test (II) [J]. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2006, 27(2): 336–340. (in Chinese)
CHEN R H, CHIU Y M. Model tests of geocell retaining structures [J]. Geotextiles and Geomembranes, 2008, 26(1): 56–70.
BAO Cheng-gang. Principle and application of geosynthetics in engineering [M]. Beijing: China Water Power Press, 2008. (in Chinese)
FAN Zhen-hui, WANG Yong-he. Elastic finite element analysis of reinforcing geogrids applied in high embankment slope [J]. Journal of Central South University: National Science, 2005, 36(5): 904–910. (in Chinese)
JT/T 669-2006. geosynthetics in highway engineering — Sort, capability demand and test methods of compositive materials [S]. Beijing: People’s Transportation Press, 2006. (in Chinese)
CRAIG R F. Soil mechanics [M]. London: Spon Press, 2001.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Foundation item: Project(40672178) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Project(2004844009) supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, Ym., Chen, Yk. & Liu, W. Large-scale direct shear testing of geocell reinforced soil. J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. 15, 895–900 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-008-0163-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-008-0163-z