The assessment of the shear strength of soil deposits after the occurrence of large strains is an important issue for geotechnical engineers. One method for doing so, the steady state approach, is based on the assumption that the steady state undrained shear strength is a unique function of the in situ void ratio and effective stress. This method, which has been applied to liquefaction and flow failures, has been criticized because it may overestimate the in situ shear strength. The key to the steady state approach is accurate determination of the relationship between void ratio and effective stress at steady state. This is typically accomplished using conventional isotropically consolidated undrained (ICU) triaxial tests. The triaxial test was developed for measuring peak strengths, which typically occur at small strains, but steady state conditions typically occur at much larger strains. At large strain levels, the suitability of conventional triaxial testing procedures and error corrections is uncertain. The measured response at large strains may be inaccurate due to the influence of various testing errors. Furthermore, the true material response in the test specimen at large strains may not accurately represent in situ material behavior at large strains. This research effort consisted of an experimental and analytical study to examine the validity of steady state undrained shear strength determination using conventional ICU triaxial tests. The analytical study addressed triaxial testing errors and conventional corrections that are applied to test data and their influence on the measured steady state parameters. Finite element analyses were conducted to investigate the influence of variations in restraint at the end platens on stress distributions in the sample and measured stress-strain response. The finite element analyses incorporated axisymmetric interface elements to model the friction characteristics between the end platens and the specimen ends. The experimental study focused on several sands that are susceptible to liquefaction. An interface direct shear test program was conducted in order to evaluate various schemes for reducing end platen friction. ICU triaxial tests were conducted on each material using both conventional and lubricated end platens. / Ph. D.

Fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites represent an alternative construction material for deep foundations that have the potential to eliminate most of the durability concerns associated with traditional piling materials. Research studies and database related to the use FRP composite material as piling foundation is very limited. This research project was undertaken to investigate the structural and geotechnical behaviour of FRP composite piles. The originality of this study rests on the following pillars:• Presenting a new understanding for the factors controlling the compressive strength of FRP tube confined concrete. • Introducing the concept of constitutive interface surface which considers the effect of surface hardness and relative roughness on the interface shear coefficient. • Studying the evolution of FRP pile surface roughness during the driving process. • Investigating the effect of harsh environments on the shear behaviour of FRP-granular interface. • Conducting an extensive experimental and numerical study to characterize the FRPs and soil parameters that control the behaviour of axially and laterally loaded FRP composite pile. Experimental testing program was conducted in this study to examine the behaviour of two different FRPs tubes confined concrete under axial compression, and flexural load. Based on the experimental results of this study and test results available in the literature, a new design chart was proposed to predict the strength enhancement based on concrete strength and FRP lateral confinement. An extensive laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the interface friction behaviour between granular materials and two different FRP materials. The interface test results obtained from experiment were used to examine a number of parameters known to have an effect on the interface friction coefficient. Furthermore, to investigate the evolution of FRP pile surface roughness during the driving process laboratory tests were also conducted to quantify the interface shear induced surface roughness changes under increased normal stress levels. Moreover, interface tests were also conducted using three more counterface materials to define schematically the constitutive interface shear surface (CISS) in the three dimensional domain of surface roughness, surface hardness, and interface shear coefficient. The long-term experimental program was also conducted in this study to assess the effect of different ageing environment conditions on FRP-granular interface shear coefficient. Acidic and alkaline aging environments were adopted in this study. The experimental program involved assessing the ageing effect on the testing FRP materials in terms of the changes in their hardness and surface roughness properties. Furthermore, the interface shear tests were conducted, using the unaged and aged FRP materials, to evaluate the effect of aging environments on FRP-granular interface shear coefficient. A small-scale laboratory pile loading tests were carried out to assess the FRP pile behaviour under axial and lateral loads. The laboratory test results were used to verify/validate a numerical model developed by the commercial finite element package ABAQUS (6.11). Additional numerical analyses using the verified model were conducted to investigate the effect of different the FRPs and soil parameters on the engineering behaviour of FRP pile.

Tire bales have become an innovative and cost effective fill material that can be used for the construction of geotechnical structures, like embankments for highway projects. The mechanical and physical properties they present allow them to be suitable for this type of structures, as long as they are provided with an appropriate drainage system. Stability of these structures is controlled by the interface shear strength existing in the contact surfaces between the bales. However, the tire bale has a jagged, uneven and highly variable surface and it presents a number of irregular tire ridges with random dimensions that are difficult to quantify. Due to the flexibility of these ridges, deformation of the interface occurs when a horizontal shear load is applied, and following this deformation the actual displacement of the interface takes place. Freilich (2009) performed large scale tests in the field and in the laboratory to observe the behavior of the whole tire bale structure, which is composed of the tire bale mass and the tire bale interface. Due to the irregular and highly variable surface of the tire bale, the deformations that occur on the ridges along the interface cannot be directly measured and quantified. Following similar concepts of some rock mechanic models, Freilich characterized the tire ridge interface using three parameters and came up with a model. Using these parameters, an ideal interface was constructed where the variability was reduced by incorporating a known geometry, and it can still be characterized in the same manner as that for the tire bale interface. Loads, deformations and displacements occurring along the interface were measured and recorded. From this data, shear strength parameters are defined and incorporated into Freilich’s tire ridge interface model that is used to predict the geometric and mechanical behavior of the irregular ridges controlling the interface shear strength. The behavior predicted from the model is then compared to the recorded data representing the actual geometric and mechanical behavior of the interface with known geometry, where the deformations on the asperities are approximated. This comparison verifies that the consideration of the flexibility from the tire ridges is not entirely described by the tire ridge interface model. Therefore a possible modification, based on the observations recorded, could be found. / text

Landfill covers are designed as impermeable caps on top of waste containment facilities after the completion of landfill operations. Geocomposite drain (GD) materials consist of a geonet or geospacer (as a drainage core) sandwiched between non-woven geotextiles that act as separators and filters. GD provides a drainage function as part of the cover system. The stability performance of landfill cover system is largely controlled by the interface shear strength mobilised between the elements of the cover. If a GD is used, the interface shear strength properties between the upper surface of the GD and the overlying soil may govern stability of the system. It is not uncommon for fine grained materials to be used as cover soils. In these cases, understanding soil softening issues at the soil interface with the non-woven geotextile is important. Such softening can be caused by capillary break behaviour and build-up of water pressures from the toe of the drain upwards into the cover soil. The interaction processes to allow water flow into a GD core through the soil-geotextile interface is very complex, and have been defined herein as Capillary Related Interface Breakthrough (CRIB). The infiltration test using small column on CRIB conditions for GD in contact with fine grained soils confirmed the development of capillary break at the interface. The effect of water build-up on the interface leads to soil softening in fine grained soils layer and reduce the interface shear strength hence potential instability of the system. Two series of fine grained soil/GD interface shear strength tests conducted to determine the interface shear strength behaviour for a range of soil water contents. The soil softening at the interface due to soaked behaviour show a reduction in interface shear strength and this aspect should be emphasized in design specifications and construction control. Comparison on the main behaviour using field measurements on the trial landfill cover at Bletchley were conducted to increase confidence in the understanding of the implications for design of cover systems.

Particulate materials are ubiquitous in the natural environment and have served throughout human history as one of the basic materials for developing civilizations. In terms of human activity, the handling of particulate materials consumes approximately 10% of all the energy produced on earth. Advances in the study and understanding of particulate materials can thus be expected to have a major impact on society. Geotechnical engineers have a long history of studying particulate materials since the fundamental building blocks of the profession include sands, silts, clays, gravels and ores, all of which are in one form or another particulates. The interface between particulates and other engineered materials is very important in determining the overall behavior of many geotechnical systems. Laboratory experimental studies into interface shear behavior has until now, been largely confined to systems involving uniformly graded sands comprised of a single particle size. This study addresses these potential shortcomings by investigating the behavior of binary particle mixtures in contact with surfaces. The binary nature of the mixtures gives rise to a changing fabric state which in turn can affect the shear strength of the mixture. Accordingly, packing limit states and the shear strength of binary mixtures were investigated across a range of mixtures, varying in particle size ratio and the proportion of fine particles to provide a reference. Binary mixtures in contact with smooth surfaces were investigated from both a global shear response and a contact mechanics perspective. A model was developed that allowed for the prediction of an interface friction coefficient based on fundamental material properties, particle and mixture parameters. Surface roughness changes as a result of shearing were also examined. The interface shear behavior with rough interfaces was examined in the context of the relative roughness between particles and surface features. The interpretation of traditional measures of relative roughness suffer from the need for a definitive average particle size, which is ambiguous in the case of non-uniform mixtures. Measures of an applicable average particle size for binary mixtures were evaluated.

Geosynthetics are used in conjunction with soil/particulate materials to serve various functions like reinforcement, drainage, filtration and containment. The shear behavior of soil-geosynthetic interfaces hugely depends upon on the morphological properties of particulate materials and surface characteristics of geosynthetics. However, many researchers have ignored the effects of morphology, owing to the difficulty in finding the morphological characteristics of sand particles. Few of them used visual, manual and imaged based quantifications, which are not very effective. Also, the effects of particle size and morphology are often combined and the individual effect of these parameters cannot be easily separated. In addition to this, there are very few studies which have given importance to quantitative understanding of surface features/roughness of geosynthetics and almost all of them are limited to 2D surface measurements. The objective of this thesis is to understand the interface shear mechanisms of sand-geosynthetic systems through modified large interface direct shear tests coupled with morphological characterization of sands using advanced image based and optical techniques and surface topographical analysis of geosynthetics using 3D interferometry. The individual effects of particle size and morphology on interface shear mechanism are investigated by carefully selecting the sands having specific size fractions and different morphological characteristics. A new computational method based on image analysis is proposed in this study to quantify the morphology of sands (roundness, sphericity and roughness) more accurately by writing several algorithms and implementing them in MATLAB. The roundness and sphericity of sand particles in this method are quantified as per Wadell (1932) and Krumbein and Sloss (1963) respectively and the root mean square roughness is used as a measure of surface roughness. Out of total four sands, namely coarse sand (CS), medium sand (MS), fine sand (FS) and angular coarse sand (ACS) used in this study, CS, MS and FS have similar morphology and different particle sizes, whereas CS and ACS have same size and dissimilar morphology. The effects of size and morphology of sand particles on the interface shear behavior are examined through direct shear tests on dilative and non-dilative interfaces. After examining the boundary effects on deformation patterns analyzed using shear bands in conventional, fixed box and symmetric interface direct shear tests, symmetric interface direct shear test is observed to show uniformity in stresses and deformations across the shear box and hence the same is adopted in this thesis. Test results revealed that the peak interface friction and dilation angles in case of dilative interfaces are hugely dependent upon the interlocking between the sand particles and the asperities of geosynthetic material, which in turn depend on the relative size of sand particles and asperities. Highest interface shear strength is observed when the asperity size of the geosynthetic material matches with the mean particle size of sand, which is also manifested in terms of highest shear band thickness. Direct shear tests on non-dilative interfaces (sand-smooth geomembrane) revealed that interface friction angle depends on the number of effective contacts rather than the particle size. Morphology of sands is found to have major influence on the interface shear strength among all the parameters investigated. Results from interface shear tests are examined in the light of topographical analysis of sand particles and shear induced surface changes in geomembrane. Possible shearing mechanisms at the interface and the influence of particle size, morphology and normal stress on sliding or plowing are brought out from 3D surface roughness measurements using 3D optical profilometer. The stress-shear displacement response of sand-geomembrane interfaces are correlated to the surface changes on sheared geomembranes through visual observations and roughness quantifications. Medium sand used in this study could make more number of effective contacts with deeper grooves, resulting in highest interface friction. The number of grooves are less in case of coarse sand and the depth of grooves is less in case of fine sand, resulting in lesser interface friction for these two sands compared to medium sand, supporting the results of interface shear tests.

Investiga-se neste trabalho a resistência ao cisalhamento em interfaces geomembrana-solo, utilizadas nos sistemas de impermeabilização de aterros e lagoas de efluentes. Foram realizados ensaios de ring shear envolvendo solos arenosos e argilosos, em condição seca e inundada. Os ensaios foram realizados utilizando uma areia de granulometria grossa a média e um solo argiloso proveniente do aterro sanitário de Piracicaba- SP. Neste trabalho foram utilizadas geomembranas de polivinil clorado, polietileno linear de média densidade e polietileno de alta densidade, com diferentes níveis de rugosidade. Os resultados mostraram que a resistência ao cisalhamento depende das características das geomembranas utilizadas, como flexibilidade e rigidez, além de outras. Conforme esperado, observou-se que as geomembranas texturizadas apresentaram maiores valores de ângulo de atrito do que as geomembranas lisas; enquanto as geomembranas flexíveis mostraram maiores valores de ângulo de atrito que as rígidas. Este comportamento foi verificado em ambos os tipos de interface. Verificou-se também que o efeito da compacidade dos materiais granulares e da saturação dos materiais mostrou-se pouco acentuado na resistência de interface areia/geomembrana. Nos ensaios de interface com solo argiloso foi verificado que a inundação influencia na resistência de interface, fornecendo menores valores de ângulos de atrito do que nos ensaios não inundados. Além deste aspecto, verificou-se que a resistência de interface em ensaios não inundados depende da umidade de compactação do solo argiloso. Este fato não foi verificado nos ensaios inundados. / This paper deals with the shear strength in the geomembrane-soil interfaces used in landfill and waste pond liners. Modified ring shear tests were carried out using sandy and clayey soils, in dry and saturated conditions. The tests were performed using a coarse to medium graded sand and a clayey soil from a sanitary landfill in Piracicaba - SP. In this work, polyvinyl chloride geomembranes, medium density linear polyethylene and high-density polyethylene, with different roughness levels, were used. The test results showed that the shear strength depends on several geomembrane characteristics, such as roughness and stiffness. As it was expected, texturized geomembranes showed higher friction angle values than smooth geomembranes; flexible geomembranes showed higher friction angle values than the stiff ones. Such behavior was verified in both interface types. Also, it was verified that the sand compaction and the material saturation have little influence on the sand-geomembrane interface shear strength. The interface shear strength tests, performed with a clayey soil, showed that the wetting condition affects the interface shear strength. Friction angle for wetted samples were smaller than those for non-wetted samples. In addition, it has been verified that the interface shear strength in non-wetted tests depends on the moisture content of the clayey soil. This fact has not been verified in the wetted tests.

Geomembranes are one of the most widely used geosynthetics in various civil engineering applications. Their primary function is as a barrier to liquid or vapour flow. Smooth Geomembranes are frequently used in combination with different soils, and due to their low surface roughness, are challenging to design to ensure adequate shear strength along the smooth geomembrane-soil interface. It is important to use the appropriate values of interface shear strength parameters in the design of slopes incorporating one or more geomembranes in contact with soils. The parameters are determined by conducting direct shear test on the geomembrane-soil interface. Laboratory tests of interface shear strength for geomembranes and soil are typically carried out with no provision for measurement of pore pressures at the soil/geomembrane interface. <p>This thesis deals with study of smooth geomembrane-soil interfaces, particularly under unsaturated conditions. The various factors that affect the interface shear behaviour are also studied. The tests were conducted using a modified direct shear box with a miniature pore pressure transducer installed adjacent to the surface of the geomembrane. Geomembranesoil interface shear tests were carried out with continuous measurement of suction in close proximity to the interface during the shearing process thus making it possible to analyze test results in terms of effective stresses. The method was found to be suitable for unsaturated soils at low values of matric suction. <p>Results of interface shear tests conducted using this method show that it is quite effective in evaluating interface shear behaviour between a geomembrane and an unsaturated soil. The results suggest that soil suction contributes to shearing resistance at low normal stress values. At lower normal stress values, the interface shear behaviour appears to be governed only by the magnitude of total normal stress. <p> At high normal stresses, the failure mechanism changed from soil particles sliding at the surface of geomembrane to soil particles getting embedded into the geomembrane and plowing trenches along the direction of shear. A plowing failure mechanism resulted in the mobilization of significantly higher shear strength at the geomembrane soil interface. It was found that placement water contents near saturated conditions results in lower effective stresses, a shallower plowing mechanism and lower values of mobilized interface shear strength.

Geomembranes are one of the most widely used geosynthetics in various civil engineering applications. Their primary function is as a barrier to liquid or vapour flow. Smooth Geomembranes are frequently used in combination with different soils, and due to their low surface roughness, are challenging to design to ensure adequate shear strength along the smooth geomembrane-soil interface. It is important to use the appropriate values of interface shear strength parameters in the design of slopes incorporating one or more geomembranes in contact with soils. The parameters are determined by conducting direct shear test on the geomembrane-soil interface. Laboratory tests of interface shear strength for geomembranes and soil are typically carried out with no provision for measurement of pore pressures at the soil/geomembrane interface. <p>This thesis deals with study of smooth geomembrane-soil interfaces, particularly under unsaturated conditions. The various factors that affect the interface shear behaviour are also studied. The tests were conducted using a modified direct shear box with a miniature pore pressure transducer installed adjacent to the surface of the geomembrane. Geomembranesoil interface shear tests were carried out with continuous measurement of suction in close proximity to the interface during the shearing process thus making it possible to analyze test results in terms of effective stresses. The method was found to be suitable for unsaturated soils at low values of matric suction. <p>Results of interface shear tests conducted using this method show that it is quite effective in evaluating interface shear behaviour between a geomembrane and an unsaturated soil. The results suggest that soil suction contributes to shearing resistance at low normal stress values. At lower normal stress values, the interface shear behaviour appears to be governed only by the magnitude of total normal stress. <p> At high normal stresses, the failure mechanism changed from soil particles sliding at the surface of geomembrane to soil particles getting embedded into the geomembrane and plowing trenches along the direction of shear. A plowing failure mechanism resulted in the mobilization of significantly higher shear strength at the geomembrane soil interface. It was found that placement water contents near saturated conditions results in lower effective stresses, a shallower plowing mechanism and lower values of mobilized interface shear strength.

Design of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) masonry in the United States is currently based on Appendix A of the 2008 Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) Code. Those provisions include the design of lap splices, and equations for the nominal capacity in interface shear transfer between grout and AAC. The provisions for lap splices are an extension of the provisions for concrete or clay masonry, modified to neglect the contribution of AAC to splice capacity. This thesis describes a testing program aimed at verifying the current provisions using tests of lap splices in grouted AAC masonry. Based on the results of those tests, the provisions are shown to be appropriate. The provisions on interface shear transfer between grout and AAC require that the transferred shear be checked against a nominal capacity based on limited test results. This thesis describes a testing program aimed at verifying and refining this nominal capacity using pullout tests of grout cores in AAC masonry units. Based on the results of those tests, the currently used nominal capacity is shown to be conservative, and a recommendation is made to increase it. / text