A laboratory device to evaluate geosynthetic load–strain behaviour in MSE walls Available to Purchase

Challenges for prediction of tension loads and deformations in geosynthetic mechanically stabilised earth (MSE) walls are proper characterisation of the in-soil material properties and stress transfer mechanisms. A laboratory device to better capture geosynthetic load–strain behaviour in geosynthetic MSE walls under working stress conditions is presented in this paper. Working stress conditions are understood to be the tensile load, strain and stresses in geosynthetic MSE walls under in service conditions when the soil strength is not fully mobilised, as assumed in most design methods. In addition, the tensile load is transferred to the geosynthetic through the surrounding soil, which is not captured using most tensile test methods found in the literature. The apparatus in this study simulates the primary load-transfer mechanism in geosynthetic MSE walls by accounting for soil confinement, strain compatibility between soil and geosynthetic, and soil-geosynthetic interaction. Tests using a woven geogrid, woven geotextile and needle-punched nonwoven geotextile in sand showed that ignoring interface slippage (though small) overestimates tensile loads in geosynthetic MSE design and analyses for working stress conditions. Geosynthetic stiffness and the magnitude of confining pressure are shown to be important parameters to compute tensile loads for geosynthetic MSE wall design and analyses.