Numerical modeling of soil-geosynthetic interaction

Abstract

Geosynthetics are being used for a wide range of civil engineering applications such as reinforced earth fills, soft foundations etc. The use of geosynthetics can greatly increase the efficiency while reducing the cost of the project. The objective of this research is to study the pullout resistance of the geosynthetic and the effect of friction on the soil-geosynthetic interface. Finite element analysis was performed on different sizes of pullout box to match load-displacement results with that found during laboratory experiments. Friction coefficient was selected by trial and error method to match the load-displacement curves calculated from the laboratory experiments to that found from the finite element analysis. Models were made using three different soils; sand, silt, and clay at 0%, 10%, and 15% moisture content under normal pressures of 5 psi, 10 psi, and 15 psi. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT There are several people that I would really like to thank for the successful completion of this thesis. First and foremost I would like to thank the advisor and committee chairman, Dr. Siriwardane. His guidance and support made the completion of this research possible. I would like to thank Dr. Udaya Halabe and Dr. Roger Viadero for reviewing my thesis and participating on my examination committee. I would also like to give a special thanks to Raj Kumar Gondle for his help and guidance throughout the preparation of this thesis. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family for their support and patience. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………………. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……………………………………………………………. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………….. iv LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………………. vi LIST OF FIGURES …………………………………………………………………... vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………. 1