The use of geosynthetics as reinforcement for the base layer of flexible pavement systems has grown steadily over the past thirty years. In spite of the evidence that geosynthetic reinforcements can lead to improved pavement performance, the specific conditions or mechanisms that enable and govern the reinforcement are unclear, largely remaining unidentified and unmeasured. The appropriate selection of design parameters for geosynthetics is complicated by the difficulty in associating their relevant properties to the improved pavement performance. In addition, pavement structures deteriorate under the combined effects of traffic loading and environmental conditions, such as moisture changes. However, these factors have not been studied together in the evaluation of the overall performance of pavement systems. Consequently, this research focused on the assessment of the effect of geosynthetics on the pavement structural section's ability to support traffic loads and to resist environmental changes. Accordingly, the primary objectives of this research were: (i) to determine the governing mechanisms and relevant properties of geosynthetics that contribute to the enhanced performance of pavement systems; (ii) to develop appropriate analytical, laboratory and field methods that are capable of quantifying the above properties for geosynthetics; and (iii) to enable the prediction of pavement performance depending on the various types of geosynthetics used. To fulfill these three objectives, an evaluative, laboratory and field study was performed. The improved performance of pavements due to addition of geosynthetics was attributed to the ability of geosynthetics to laterally restrain the base course material, thereby providing a confinement effect to the pavement. A parameter to quantify the soil-geosynthetic interaction at low displacement magnitudes based on the solution of an analytical model for geosynthetics confined in pullout box was proposed. The pullout tests were then conducted on various geosynthetics to obtain the proposed parameter for various geosynthetics. The quantitative magnitude of the parameter value from the laboratory tests was compared with the qualitative performance observed in the field test sections. Overall, a good agreement was obtained between the laboratory and field results, thereby providing confidence in the ability of the proposed analytical model to predict the governing mechanism for geosynthetic reinforced pavements. / text

O melhor comportamento de uma estrutura de solo reforçado com geossintéticos não depende só da elevada resistência à tração da inclusão, mas também da sua rigidez e do nível de carregamento sob o qual a estrutura está submetida. Dessa maneira, a interação entre o reforço e as respectivas camadas de solo ao seu redor torna-se de grande importância, pois a mobilização cisalhante combina a deformação da interface solo-reforço e o alongamento do geossintético. Sendo que a melhor forma de avaliar a interação entre o solo e a geogrelha é por meio de ensaios de arrancamento, pensa-se na realização de ensaios de arrancamento cíclico para analisar a interação dinâmica entre o solo e a inclusão quando certas estruturas são submetidas a esse tipo de solicitação. Por causa disso, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é analisar o efeito produzido por carregamentos monotônicos e cíclicos de interface numa geogrelha biaxial de polipropileno, quando inserida na interface de um solo argiloso e um solo arenoso sob diferentes tensões de confinamento. Para isso, são utilizados os equipamentos de pequenas e grandes dimensões do Laboratório de Geossintéticos da EESC-USP, visando avaliar a sua relação e a viabilidade de uso do equipamento de pequenas dimensões. Inicialmente foram realizados ensaios de arrancamento monotônico em ambos os equipamentos sob tensões de confinamento de 25, 50 e 100 kPa, sendo que as resistências obtidas com as tensões de 25 e 100 kPa permitiram definir as amplitudes do carregamento cíclico correspondentes ao 20% de tais valores. Adicionalmente, após a aplicação dos 10.000 ciclos de carga correspondentes à capacidade do equipamento, foi aplicado novamente um carregamento monotônico com o intuito de determinar o efeito do carregamento dinâmico na resistência ao arrancamento e assim poder realizar as respectivas comparações com os valores iniciais. Com base nos resultados obtidos, foi possível observar a diferença no grau de confinamento entre ambos os equipamentos, sendo maior no de grandes dimensões por causa da melhor distribuição das tensões sobre a área ocupada pela geogrelha. Adicionalmente, o grau de confinamento em ambos os equipamentos também influenciou a diferença no efeito do carregamento dinâmico, sendo de desconfinamento no de grandes dimensões e de densificação no de pequenas dimensões. / The best behavior of a reinforced soil structure with geosynthetics not only depends on the high tensile strength of the inclusion, but also on its rigidity and the loading level in which the structure is subjected. Thus, the interaction between the reinforcement and the respective layers of soil around, becomes very important because the shear mobilization combines the deformation of the soil-reinforcement interface and the lengthening of the geosynthetic. Since the best way to assess the soil-geogrid interaction is through pullout tests, it is thought in performing cyclic pullout tests to examine the dynamic soil-inclusion interaction when some structures are submitted to that kind of loads. Because of that, the main objective of this work is to analize the effect that is produced by monotonic and cyclic interface loading on a biaxial polypropylene geogrid, when it is inserted into the interface of a clayey soil and a sandy soil under different confinement stresses. For that, the small and large dimensions equipments of the Geosynthetics Laboratory at EESC-USP are used, looking to evaluate their relationship and the feasibility of using a small dimensions equipment. Initially, they were performed monotonic pullout tests in both equipments under confinement stresses of 25, 50 and 100 kPa, wherein the pullout strengths obtained with 25 and 100 kPa allowed the definition of the load cyclic amplitudes, which corresponded to 20% of such values. Additionally, after applying 10.000 load cycles, corresponding to the capacity of the equipment, it was applied a monotonic loading in order to determine the dynamic loading effect on pullout strength, being useful to compare such values with the initial response. Based on the obtained results, it was possible to observe the difference in the confinement degree between both equipments, being higher in the large one because of the better stress distribution on the geogrid area. Aditionally, the confinement degree in both equipments also influenced the difference in the dynamic loading effect, being deconfinement in the soil-geogrid interface of the large one and densification in the other one.

Le renforcement des sols par géosynthétique est appliqué dans de nombreux types d’ouvrage : remblais sur sol compressible, talus sur fondations stables, remblais sur des cavités et ouvrages de soutènement. La stabilité de ces ouvrages dépend entre autres de l’efficacité des ancrages des nappes géosynthétiques. Les ancrages droit et avec retour sont les plus couramment utilisés. Afin d'améliorer les connaissances actuelles sur le comportement des systèmes d'ancrage, des études expérimentales et numériques ont été développées conjointement. Ce travail de thèse concerne dans une première partie, la modélisation physique tridimensionnelle du comportement des géosynthétiques pour deux types ancrages (ancrage droit et ancrage avec retour). Ces essais ont été réalisés dans une chambre d’étalonnage en conditions contrôlées et instrumentées en laboratoire. Dans une deuxième partie de cette thèse, les paramètres d’interaction sol/géosynthétique déduits à partir de l’étude expérimentale ont été implémentés dans le code de calcul numérique bidimensionnel en milieu continu FLAC2D pour une meilleure compréhension du comportement des géosynthétique en ancrage. L’influence de plusieurs paramètres sur le comportement du géosynthétique en ancrage avec et sans retour a été traitée dans cette étude numérique. Parallèlement à cette modélisation, une autre modélisation numérique (discontinue) par la méthode des éléments discrets (PFC2D) a été réalisée. Ces modélisations ont donné des résultats proches de ceux obtenus expérimentalement et confirme l'analyse faite au sujet des mécanismes d'ancrage. / The soil reinforcement by geosynthetic is used in many types of structures: embankments on compressible soil, slope on a stable foundation, embankments on cavities and retaining structures. The stability of these structures specially depends on the efficiency of the anchors holding the geosynthetic sheets. The simple run-out and anchorage with wrap around are most commonly used. In order to improve the available knowledge of the anchorage systems behaviour, experimental and numerical studies were developed jointly. This thesis work concerns in the first part a three-dimensional physical modelling of the behaviour of geosynthetics in two anchors (simple run-out and anchorge with wrap around). The pull-out tests were performed in a test tank under controlled conditions in the laboratory. In the second part, the parameters of the interaction soil/geosynthetic found from the experimental study were used into the numerical code “FLAC2D” (continuous) for a better understanding of the behaviour of geosynthetics in anchorage. The influence of several parameters on the behaviour of geosynthetic was treated in this numerical study. In parallel with this model, another numerical modelling (discontinuous) by the discrete element method (PFC2D) was carried out. The results of these models are closely to experimental results which confirm the analysis about the anchoring mechanisms.

O melhor comportamento de uma estrutura de solo reforçado com geossintéticos não depende só da elevada resistência à tração da inclusão, mas também da sua rigidez e do nível de carregamento sob o qual a estrutura está submetida. Dessa maneira, a interação entre o reforço e as respectivas camadas de solo ao seu redor torna-se de grande importância, pois a mobilização cisalhante combina a deformação da interface solo-reforço e o alongamento do geossintético. Sendo que a melhor forma de avaliar a interação entre o solo e a geogrelha é por meio de ensaios de arrancamento, pensa-se na realização de ensaios de arrancamento cíclico para analisar a interação dinâmica entre o solo e a inclusão quando certas estruturas são submetidas a esse tipo de solicitação. Por causa disso, o objetivo principal deste trabalho é analisar o efeito produzido por carregamentos monotônicos e cíclicos de interface numa geogrelha biaxial de polipropileno, quando inserida na interface de um solo argiloso e um solo arenoso sob diferentes tensões de confinamento. Para isso, são utilizados os equipamentos de pequenas e grandes dimensões do Laboratório de Geossintéticos da EESC-USP, visando avaliar a sua relação e a viabilidade de uso do equipamento de pequenas dimensões. Inicialmente foram realizados ensaios de arrancamento monotônico em ambos os equipamentos sob tensões de confinamento de 25, 50 e 100 kPa, sendo que as resistências obtidas com as tensões de 25 e 100 kPa permitiram definir as amplitudes do carregamento cíclico correspondentes ao 20% de tais valores. Adicionalmente, após a aplicação dos 10.000 ciclos de carga correspondentes à capacidade do equipamento, foi aplicado novamente um carregamento monotônico com o intuito de determinar o efeito do carregamento dinâmico na resistência ao arrancamento e assim poder realizar as respectivas comparações com os valores iniciais. Com base nos resultados obtidos, foi possível observar a diferença no grau de confinamento entre ambos os equipamentos, sendo maior no de grandes dimensões por causa da melhor distribuição das tensões sobre a área ocupada pela geogrelha. Adicionalmente, o grau de confinamento em ambos os equipamentos também influenciou a diferença no efeito do carregamento dinâmico, sendo de desconfinamento no de grandes dimensões e de densificação no de pequenas dimensões. / The best behavior of a reinforced soil structure with geosynthetics not only depends on the high tensile strength of the inclusion, but also on its rigidity and the loading level in which the structure is subjected. Thus, the interaction between the reinforcement and the respective layers of soil around, becomes very important because the shear mobilization combines the deformation of the soil-reinforcement interface and the lengthening of the geosynthetic. Since the best way to assess the soil-geogrid interaction is through pullout tests, it is thought in performing cyclic pullout tests to examine the dynamic soil-inclusion interaction when some structures are submitted to that kind of loads. Because of that, the main objective of this work is to analize the effect that is produced by monotonic and cyclic interface loading on a biaxial polypropylene geogrid, when it is inserted into the interface of a clayey soil and a sandy soil under different confinement stresses. For that, the small and large dimensions equipments of the Geosynthetics Laboratory at EESC-USP are used, looking to evaluate their relationship and the feasibility of using a small dimensions equipment. Initially, they were performed monotonic pullout tests in both equipments under confinement stresses of 25, 50 and 100 kPa, wherein the pullout strengths obtained with 25 and 100 kPa allowed the definition of the load cyclic amplitudes, which corresponded to 20% of such values. Additionally, after applying 10.000 load cycles, corresponding to the capacity of the equipment, it was applied a monotonic loading in order to determine the dynamic loading effect on pullout strength, being useful to compare such values with the initial response. Based on the obtained results, it was possible to observe the difference in the confinement degree between both equipments, being higher in the large one because of the better stress distribution on the geogrid area. Aditionally, the confinement degree in both equipments also influenced the difference in the dynamic loading effect, being deconfinement in the soil-geogrid interface of the large one and densification in the other one.