Geogrids have been used for decades as reinforcement for mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls and base layers of pavements. However, literature on these applications is contradictory regarding the displacement and strain levels at which the bearing mechanism of interaction between soil and geogrid is developed along the transverse ribs of geogrids. No data are available on the deflections and displacement profiles of transverse ribs during loading of geogrids. Field and laboratory data on strain distributions along geogrids are limited. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to better understand the mechanisms of soil-geogrid interaction that develop at different stages of pullout tests, especially at small displacements and strains. Moreover, the behavior of transverse ribs throughout pullout testing is evaluated. Pullout loads were obtained from a load cell synchronized with two 5 MP cameras. Images of the geogrid were analyzed using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique to obtain displacement profiles along the entire geogrid specimen throughout the duration of the test. Five transparent pullout tests were conducted using a confining pressure of 35 kPa (5 psi) on polypropylene geogrids with different configurations. Displacements along the polypropylene geogrid used in this study are well represented by an exponential equation. The bearing mechanism along transverse ribs was observed to develop at small viii displacements. The contribution of the bearing mechanism was first observed at 25 % of the maximum pullout force. Interference between transverse ribs was first observed at approximately 60 % of the maximum pullout force. High interference between transverse ribs was observed when the ratio of spacing between transverse ribs (S) over the thickness of the transverse ribs (B) was equal to 24. Negligible interference was observed when S/B was equal to 57. Displacements of soil particles were observed when the ratio distance from the soil-geogrid interface (d) over the D₅₀ of the soil was equal to 3, but they were orders of magnitude smaller than the displacements of the geogrid specimens. The observed boundary of the zone of influence of geogrids was for values of 3 < d/D₅₀ < 7 for the transparent soil used in this study. / text

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

The use of soil cement as a growth medium was examined in this study. During the monitoring, green soil cement revealed diverse ecological values. The survival rates of plants in each soil conditions were higher than 80%,which was very promising. Furthermore, the survival rates dropped when the soil density reached95%, which means soil density might influence the survival rate of plant. Plant growth rates in sandy soil were higher than that in soil cement. In particular, low soil density facilitated plant growth in sandy soil, whereas density effect was not clear to plant growth performance in soil cement. Experiments were undertaken to study the soil-water characteristics of sandy soil and soil cement in field and laboratory condition. The influence of vegetation and material density on the development of negative pore water pressure (PWP) and degree of saturation (Sr) in the studied materials was investigated. The field planting experiments proved a promising survival rate of Schefflera heptaphylla in both types of materials while sandy soil promoted better growth of the seedlings than the soil cement. From the field study, PWP and Sr of sandy soil responded noticeably and promptly to natural drying and wetting cycles. However, the responses in soil cement were relatively mild. When subjected to the same drying-wetting cycles, PWP responded more slowly and to a smaller magnitude compared with that of soil cement. In addition, Sr changed little in soil cement. An increase in the density of the sandy soil promoted rapid development of negative PWP, while an opposite trend was observed for soil cement. Attempts have been made to explain the observations from the perspectives of material permeability and change in water content during a drying period in both soil types. Furthermore, in sandy soil, the development of PWP (with a measurement limit of -90 kPa) was minimally affected by the presence of vegetation, while vegetation noticeably helped the development of negative PWP in the soil cement. Bounds of the soil-water characteristic curve of the studied materials were presented based on estimates from the drying and wetting scanning curves derived from the field monitoring. A complementary laboratory study was carried out in an environmental chamber with controllable temperature and humidity. Monitoring results from the laboratory agreed well with that obtained from the field. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Not available / text

Not available / text

Not available / text

Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was measured using four different methods. Tension permeameters were used to measure unsaturated hydraulic conductivity in the field, using a single disc method, which depends on the measurements of sorptivity, steady state flow rate, initial and final water content (White and Perroux, 1987, 1989). Also, a double disc method was used which utilizes Wooding's (1968) equation for two different disc radii at the same tension for steady state flow rates. Undisturbed and disturbed soil cores were used to measure unsaturated hydraulic conductivity in the lab, using water retention curves with van Genuchten's equations. There were no significant differences in the mean of hydraulic conductivity between single and double disc methods in all the tensions used (0, 5, 10 and 15 cm). There were significant differences between the field methods and undisturbed soil cores in zero cm tension, and disturbed soil cores in 10 and 15 cm tension. The effect of land preparation on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was studied using the double disc method. Tilling has significant effects on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at all tensions used. The spatial variation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and steady state flow in different tensions using the double disc method was studied. We found exponential variogram models for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 5, 10 and 15 cm tensions and a random model for zero cm tension. Also, exponential models were best fitted for steady state flow corresponding to pores radii of 0.03 - 0.015 cm, 0.015 - 0.010 cm and steady state flow at 10 cm tension. A Michaelis-Menton model was used for steady state flow at 5 cm and 15 cm tension. Disc permeameters were also used to add 5 cm depth of water, bromide and dye solution at 0, 5, 10 and 15 cm tensions with three replicates. A comparison was made between field data and simulated model under the same boundary and initial conditions as in the field. Results showed that the water and bromide move deeper than the prediction of the simulated model in all tensions used. The differences were larger between simulated model and field data for both water and bromide concentrations in the lower tension and smaller in the higher tension as a result of elimination of some preferential flow paths. An equation was developed for cumulative infiltration valid for both small and large time. The parameters calculated using the developed equation closely matched the measured infiltration, and fit better than a three term series similar to the Philip equation for one-dimensional flow.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.