Accelerated Test for Evaluating the Durability of Geosynthetics on Coasts

Abstract

To stablish the method evaluating the durability of geosynthetic structures on coast, field observations of concrete blocks and field exposure of geosynthetic test pieces were carried out on Japanese coasts. We analyzed the depths of erosion measured on coasts using multivariate statistical analysis, and investigated the effectiveness of the duration of settlement, elevation, wave conditions and size of coastal sediments on the degree of abrasion. Two types of accelerated tests for imitating gravel abrasion and a weathering test were developed, and the applicability of these tests were assessed by comparing the results to the results from field exposure tests. Based on these tests, we proposed the methods for estimating the remaining tensile strength of geosynthetic materials after settlement.