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.

Avaliou-se experimentalmente o comportamento da resistência ao cisalhamento de interface em reforços unidirecionais utilizados em estruturas de contenção. Para tal, foram realizados ensaios de arrancamento em fitas metálicas, utilizadas para soluções em terra armada e chumbadores, para soluções em solo grampeado. Os ensaios, em campo e laboratório, permitiram constatar a pouca influência do diâmetro dos chumbadores no valor da resistência ao cisalhamento de interface (qs). Ainda em relação aos chumbadores, os resultados mostraram que o volume de calda de cimento para preenchimento da cavidade escavada está diretamente associado ao ganho de qs. Os ensaios em fitas metálicas, em obras executados com solos finos, mostraram que o seu uso requer um estudo mais detalhado do seu comportamento, visto que os parâmetros sugeridos pela NBR 9286/86 não condiz com os resultados experimentais desta pesquisa. / This study evaluated experimentally the behavior of interface shear strength in unidirectional reinforcements used in reinforced soil structures. Pullout tests were carried out on reinforcements used in reinforced earth and soil nailing techniques. Nail diameter has little influence on interface shear strength (qs), according to field and laboratory tests. Additionally, increasing grout volume in nail cavity was directly linked to gain of qs. Tests on reinforced earth reinforcements using fine-grained soils showed that the results do not match with the suggestion of NBR 9286/86.

Composite liners are used in landfills to isolate solid waste from the local environment. The combination of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geomembrane and compacted clay liner (CCL) is commonly used worldwide. In the Ontario region, bentonite sand mixtures (BSMs) and the local clay i.e. Leda clay, can be considered as appropriate CCL materials. However, the interface failure between smooth HDPE and CCL is a critical issue for landfill safety. The shear stress behavior and strength parameters at the interface between the HDPE and CCL can be affected by many factors, such as temperature and chemicals. The temperature difference between winter and summer in the Ontario region is approximately 50°C, which causes a freeze-thaw (F-T) phenomenon in local landfills. Leachate and heat are generated during the solid waste stabilization process. Landfill leachate usually contains a high concentration of cations, which can carry heat, thus affecting the landfill liner properties. As a result, the interface shear stress behavior and strength parameters are affected by the aforementioned conditions. In this thesis, a series of experiments were conducted on the shear stress behavior at the interface of Leda clay / HDPE and bentonite sand mixture (BSM) / HDPE. In order to understand the influence of the F-T phenomenon, the samples were tested by varying the number of F-T cycles. Meanwhile, in order to understand the combined influence of cations and heat, the samples were saturated with different solutions, i.e. distilled water, potassium chloride and calcium chloride solutions. Then they were cured in an oven with different temperatures and room temperature, respectively. All of the laboratorial shear tests have been performed by using a direct shear machine. Results show that the BSM /HDPE and Leda clay/ HDPE interfaces are both influenced by the F-T cycles. The BSM/HDPE interface shear of the samples between 0 and 5 F-T cycles has more obvious differences, while the friction angle of compacted Leda clay/HDPE exhibits distinct reduction in the first 3 cycles, after which, the difference becomes hard to differentiate. The results also indicate that both high temperature and high concentration of cations from leachate can slight reduce the interface shear stress of BSM/HDPE. However, the combined influence of thermal-chemical conditions is not much more obvious compared to the effects of a single thermal or chemical condition. The BSM materials, which were saturated with different solutions, are also tested by using X-ray diffraction to examine the mineral changes in the BSM. The calcium and potassium cations convert sodium-bentonite into calcium-rich bentonite and illite/semectie mixtures, respectively. Nevertheless, the changess of clay part caused by the combined effect of heat and leachate have limited influence on the BSM/HDPE interface shear behavior.

Avaliou-se experimentalmente o comportamento da resistência ao cisalhamento de interface em reforços unidirecionais utilizados em estruturas de contenção. Para tal, foram realizados ensaios de arrancamento em fitas metálicas, utilizadas para soluções em terra armada e chumbadores, para soluções em solo grampeado. Os ensaios, em campo e laboratório, permitiram constatar a pouca influência do diâmetro dos chumbadores no valor da resistência ao cisalhamento de interface (qs). Ainda em relação aos chumbadores, os resultados mostraram que o volume de calda de cimento para preenchimento da cavidade escavada está diretamente associado ao ganho de qs. Os ensaios em fitas metálicas, em obras executados com solos finos, mostraram que o seu uso requer um estudo mais detalhado do seu comportamento, visto que os parâmetros sugeridos pela NBR 9286/86 não condiz com os resultados experimentais desta pesquisa. / This study evaluated experimentally the behavior of interface shear strength in unidirectional reinforcements used in reinforced soil structures. Pullout tests were carried out on reinforcements used in reinforced earth and soil nailing techniques. Nail diameter has little influence on interface shear strength (qs), according to field and laboratory tests. Additionally, increasing grout volume in nail cavity was directly linked to gain of qs. Tests on reinforced earth reinforcements using fine-grained soils showed that the results do not match with the suggestion of NBR 9286/86.

A laboratory investigation was conducted to determine the effects of temperature and moisture on the shear strength of textured geomembrane (T-GM) and geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) interface. Several landfill slope failures involving geosynthetics have occurred within the past three decades. Interface shear strength of T-GM/GCL is well documented for testing conducted at laboratory temperatures and at moisture contents associated with GCLs in submerged conditions. However, in-service conditions for landfill liner systems include a wide range of temperatures (extending from below 0 °C to above 40 °C) and a wide range of moisture conditions. Large-scale interface direct shear tests were performed at normal stresses of cover liners (10, 20, and 30 kPa) and bottom liners (100, 200, and 300 kPa). Cover liner specimens were subjected to temperatures of 2, 20 and 40 °C; and bottom liner specimens were subjected to temperatures of 20 and 40 °C. Both cover and bottom liner specimens were prepared at moisture contents of as-received (approx. 18-19%), 50%, and 100%. Cover liner specimens exhibited decreased peak interface shear strength (tp) with increasing temperature. Specimens sheared at 2 °C exhibited greater tp than those sheared at 20 °C by as much as 27%. Specimens sheared at 20 °C exhibited greater tp than those sheared at 40 °C by as much as 16%. Large-displacement interface shear strength (tld) generally exhibited a bell-shaped relationship with increasing temperature with the greatest tld at 20 °C. A bell-shaped relationship was exhibited between temperature and peak and large-displacement interface friction angle (dp and dld). dp ranged from 17.4 to 26.3°, 23.8 to 29°, and 20.4 to 22.2° for 2, 20, and 40 °C, respectively. dld ranged from 12.7 to 18.2°, 18.2 to 20.6°, and 15.9 to 16.7° for 2, 20, and 40 °C, respectively. Decreased d at 2 and 40 °C were largely attributed to increased geosynthetic damage. Bottom liner specimens exhibited decreased tp and tld with increasing temperature by up to 12% and 16%, respectively. Bottom liner specimens exhibited decreased tp and tld with increasing moisture content by up to 14% and 36%, respectively. For bottom liner specimens, a trend of decreased dp with increased temperatures was exhibited. dp ranged from 20 to 24.7° and 19.5 to 22.2° for 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively. dld ranged from 10.4 to 15.6° and 8.9 to 13.9° for 20 °C and 40 °C, respectively. Decreased d at 40 °C was largely attributed to increased geosynthetic damage and increased bentonite extrusion. Increased moisture content resulted in decreased dp and dld by up to 4.7 and 5.1°, respectively. Results of this testing program indicated that T-GM/GCL interface shear strengths are influenced by temperature and moisture content within ranges representative of field conditions. Interpolation factors and reduction factors were developed for use to avoid overestimation of d when determined at standard laboratory temperatures. For cover liners, reduction factors of 0.8 and 0.85 are recommended for dp and dld, respectively. For bottom liners, reduction factors of 0.9 and 0.85 are recommended for dp and dld, respectively.

The frictional behavior of soil-construction material interfaces is of significant importance in geotechnical engineering applications such as retaining structures, pile foundations, geosynthetic liners, and trenchless technologies. Since most failures initiate and develop on the interfaces, special attention is required to predict the capacity of these weak planes in the particular application. Pipe-jacking and microtunneling technologies are being more widely used over the past decade and there is significant interest to predict the jacking forces and jacking distances achievable in order to achieve more efficient design and construction. This study focuses on the evaluation of the frictional characteristics and factors affecting the shear strength of pipe-soil interfaces. Eight different pipes made from fiber reinforced polymer (FRP), polycrete, steel, concrete, and vitrified clay were tested in the experimental program. For this purpose, a new apparatus was designed to conduct conventional interface direct shear testing on pipes of different curvature. This device allows coupons cut from actual conduits and pipes to be tested in the laboratory under controlled conditions. The apparatus includes a double-wall shear box, the inner wall of which is interchangeable to allow for testing against surfaces of different curvatures. By considering a narrow width section, the circular interface of pipes was approximated with a surface along the axial direction and the boundary is defined by the inner box. Roughness tests were performed using a stylus profilometer to quantify the surface characteristics of the individual pipes and relate these to the interface shear behavior. The surface topography showed different degrees of variability for the different pipes. To extend the range of roughness values tested and force the failure to occur in the particulate media adjacent to the interface, two artificial pipe surfaces were created using rough sandpapers. Interface shear tests were performed using the new apparatus with air-pluviated dense specimens of Ottawa 20/30 sand. Additional tests were performed using Atlanta blasting sand to evaluate the effect of particle angularity. The effect of normal stress and relative density were also examined. The interface strength was shown to increase with surface roughness and finally reach a constant value above a certain critical roughness value, which corresponded to the internal strength of the soil itself. This represented the failure location moving from the interface into the soil adjacent to the interface. Both the strength and the shearing mechanism were thus affected by the surface topography. It was also shown that the interface shear strength was affected by particle angularity, relative density and normal stress.

Environmental conditions such as temperature inevitably impact the long term performance, strength and deformation characteristics of most materials in infrastructure applications. The mechanical and durability properties of geosynthetic materials are strongly temperature dependent. The interfaces between geotextiles and geomembranes as well as between granular materials such as sands and geomembranes in landfill applications are subject to temperature changes due to seasonal temperature variations as well as exothermic reactions occurring in the waste body. This can be a critical factor governing the stability of modern waste containment lining systems. Historically, most laboratory geosynthetic interface testing has been performed at room temperature. Information today is emerging that shows how temperatures in the liner systems of landfills can be much higher. An extensive research study was undertaken in an effort to investigate temperature effects on interface shear behavior between (a) NPNW polypropylene geotextiles and both smooth PVC as well as smooth and textured HDPE geomembranes and (b) sands of different angularity and smooth PVC and HDPE geomembranes. A temperature controlled chamber was designed and developed to simulate elevated temperature field conditions and shear displacement-failure mechanisms at these higher temperatures. The physical laboratory testing program consisted of multiple series of interface shear tests between material combinations found in landfill applications under a range of normal stress levels from 10 to 400 kPa and at a range of test temperatures from 20 to 50 °C. Complementary geotextile single filament tensile tests were performed at different temperatures using a dynamic thermo-mechanical analyzer (DMA) to evaluate tensile strength properties of geotextile single filaments at elevated temperatures. The single filament studies are important since the interface strength between geotextiles and geomembranes is controlled by the fabric global matrix properties as well as the micro-scale characteristics of the geotextile and how it interacts with the geomembrane macro-topography. The peak interface strength for sand-geomembrane as well as geotextile-geomembrane interfaces depends on the geomembrane properties such as hardness and micro texture. To this end, the surface hardness of smooth HDPE and PVC geomembrane samples was measured at different temperatures in the temperature controlled chamber to evaluate how temperature changes affect the interface shear behavior and strength of geomembranes in combination with granular materials and/or geotextiles. The focus of this portion of the experimental work was to examine: i) the change in geomembrane hardness with temperature; ii) develop empirical relationships to predict shear strength properties of sand - geomembrane interfaces as a function of temperature; and iii) compare the results of empirically predicted frictional shear strength properties with the results of direct measurements from the interface shear tests performed at different elevated temperatures.

The use of geosynthetics in landfill construction introduces potential planes of weakness. As a result, there is a requirement to assess the stability along the soil/geosynthetic and geosynthetic/geosynthetic interfaces. Stability is governed by the shear strength along the weakest interface in the system. Repeatability interface shear strength testing of a geomembrane/geotextile interface at low normal stresses suitable for capping systems showed considerable variability of measured geosynthetic interface shear strengths, suggesting that minor factors can have a significant influence on the measured shear strength. This study demonstrates that more than one test per normal stress is necessary if a more accurate and reliable interface shear strength value is to be obtained. Carefully controlled inter-laboratory geosynthetic interface shear strength comparison tests undertaken on large direct shear devices that differ in the kinematic degrees of freedom of the top box, showed the fixed top box design to consistently over estimate the available interface shear strength compared to the vertically movable top box design. Results obtained from measurement of the normal stress on the interface during shear with use of load cells in the lower box of the fixed top box design, raise key questions on the accuracy, reliability and proper interpretation of the interface shear strength data used in landfill design calculations. Tests on the geocomposite/sand interface have shown the interface friction angle to vary with the orientation of the geocomposite's main core, in relation to the direction of shearing. Close attention needs to be paid to the onsite geocomposite placement in confined spaces and capping slope corners, as grid orientation on the slope becomes particularly important when sliding is initiated. Attempts to measure the pore water pressure during staged consolidation and shear along a clay/geomembrane interface in the large direct shear device suggest that this interface is a partial drainage path.

Em geral, as recomendações normativas sugerem a utilização de materiais granulares para a construção de estruturas em solo reforçado, principalmente devido à sua elevada resistência ao cisalhamento e boa capacidade de drenagem. No entanto, nem sempre há disponibilidade deste tipo de material no entorno das obras, tornando o uso dos solos finos imperativo para a viabilização desta solução. No Brasil, solos residuais finos são encontrados em abundância e, muitas vezes, apresentam excelentes parâmetros de resistência ao cisalhamento e baixa compressibilidade. Contudo, o seu uso pode induzir poro-pressões indesejáveis durante a construção ou cisalhamento do aterro reforçado. Por outro lado, as elevadas sucções matriciais que podem persistir em seu interior geram um aumento na estabilidade dos maciços reforçados. Neste contexto, este trabalho apresenta os resultados experimentais e discute o efeito da variação climática (umedecimento e secagem) na resistência de interface solo coesivo-fita polimérica de uma estrutura de contenção em solo reforçado. Os ensaios foram realizados com amostras compactadas de um solo residual de gnaisse típico da cidade de São Paulo e uma fita polimérica de alta aderência. Os corpos de prova foram submetidos a ensaios de cisalhamento direto e de arrancamento sob três diferentes níveis de tensão normal e de sucção, além da condição inundada. Ensaios triaxiais saturados (CU) e não saturados (CW) foram realizados para a determinação da envoltória de resistência tridimensional do solo, avaliação da eficiência da interação solo-reforço e para a verificação do comportamento da água intersticial durante o cisalhamento. Os resultados indicam que o solo coesivo em questão apresenta excelentes parâmetros de resistência ao cisalhamento, elevada capacidade de se manter sob pressões negativas da água intersticial e uma eficiente interação com as fitas poliméricas, o que possibilitaria a execução de estruturas estáveis quanto ao arrancamento dos reforços. Além disso, sugerem um crescimento não linear da máxima resistência de interface com o aumento da sucção matricial do solo e uma tendência de redução dos coeficientes de atrito aparente solo-reforço (f*) com o umedecimento das amostras. Porém, mostraram que a sucção matricial exerce pouca influência na resistência residual da interface solo reforço. / Current specifications for reinforced soil structures generally require the use of granular backfill due to their high strength, well drainage capacity and low volume change potential. However, in cases where granular fills are not easily and readily available, poorly draining soils should be used to enable the implementation of a mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSEW). In Brazil, the fine-grained residual soils that cover large areas of its territory frequently present high shear strengths and low compressibility. However, the use of cohesive soils can cause unwanted effects in structure stability due to the water content variations of the backfill soil, and the potential development of pore-water pressures or loss of strength. On the other hand, matric suctions may increase the soil-geosynthetic interface shear strength. In this context, this study presents the experimental results and discusses the effects of seasonal climatic variations (wetting and drying) on shear strength of soil-geosynthetic straps interfaces under unsaturated conditions. For the laboratory investigation, a compacted residual soil of gneiss composed of 80% silty sand passed through a 0.075mm sieve, sourced from São Paulo city, and a high-tenacity polyester strap were used. Direct shear and pullout tests were conducted with three different net normal stresses and levels of matric suction, besides the inundated condition. Triaxial tests under saturated (CU) and unsaturated (CW) conditions with suction measurement using a high capacity tensiometer were performed in order to evaluate the shear strength parameters of the unsaturated soil, the interface efficiency of the soil-geosynthetic strap and the pore water pressure variations during shear. The results indicate that the cohesive soil used in this study has excellent shear strength parameters, a high capacity to maintain negative pore water pressures and presents an efficient interaction with the geosynthetics straps, which would allow the implementation of a stable MSEW for failure by pullout. Furthermore they reveal that the peak shear strength of the soil-geosynthetic strap interface increases nonlinearly with the soil suction, while the apparent friction factor (f*) decreases with the increase in molding moisture contents. On the other hand, the effect of suction on the post-peak shear strength of the interface was negligible.

Pipe jacking, has seen a rise in popularity, particularly in urban areas where infrastructure does not permit cut-and-cover methods. As pipe jacking has becomes more commonplace, engineers are pushing the limits of the technology more and more by designing longer drives in more difficult ground conditions. Lubrication is essential to reduce the frictional resistance generated at the pipe-soil interface. Even though lubrication is widely utilized, there is not a clear understanding of the conditions required to obtain the full benefit of lubrication. This dissertation focuses on bentonite slurry characteristics and interface behavior under different lubricating conditions with the goal to further the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the large friction reductions observed in the field. An interface shear device capable of measuring interface behavior on pipe surfaces was used to perform tests under two lubricating conditions. Pipes were sheared against a mixture of sand and slurry and the effect of the slurry was quantified. In another series of tests, slurry was injected at the pipe-soil interface. An axisymmetric interface shear device was developed to further investigate the lubrication mechanism associated with injection of slurry into sand. The device was designed to inject slurry through injection ports built into a shaft displaced within a sealed sand-filled chamber. A series of tests were performed on dry sand as well as sand where water or slurry was injected during shearing. The effect of sand type and viscosity are also investigated. Findings from the experimental studies are related back to full-scale behavior with the objective of assessing the lubrication methods and their effectiveness. A rational procedure for predicting non-lubricated and lubricated jacking forces is proposed to optimize design and serve as a framework for evaluating jacking forces in the field.