No description available.

Thesis (M.C.E.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Dov Leshchinsky, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Includes bibliographical references.

The concept of reinforcement was developed in late 20th century and since then till the recent past there are many works carried out on the effect of fibers in imparting strength and stiffness to the soil. Experimental investigations on fiber reinforced soils showed an increase in shear strength and reduction in post peak loss of strength due to the reinforcement. Analytical/mechanistic models are developed to predict the stress-strain response of fiber reinforced soil (under discrete framework, energy dissipation methods, force equilibrium methods etc). Numerical investigations are also carried out, and it was observed that the presence of random reinforcing material in soils make the stress concentration diffuse more and restrict the shear band formation. Soil properties vary from point to point at micro level and influence stress mobilization. Hence, there is a need to carry out probabilistic analysis to capture the effects of uncertainties and variability in soil and their influence on stress-strain evolution. In the present thesis an attempt has been made to propose a mechanistic model that predicts the stress-strain response of fiber reinforced soil and also considers the effect of anisotropy of fibers. A stochastic/probabilistic model is developed that predicts the stochastic stress-strain response of fiber reinforced soil. In addition, probabilistic analysis is carried out to observe the effect of number of fibers across the shear plane in imparting shear resistance to soil. The mechanistic model and stochastic models are validated with reference to the experimental results of consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial tests on coir fiber reinforced red soil for different fiber contents. The entire thesis is divided into six chapters. Chapter-wise description is given below. Chapter one presents a general introduction to the works carried out on fiber reinforced soils and also the investigations carried out on probabilistic methodologies that takes into account the soil variability. Thus, the chapter gives an outline of the models developed under mechanistic and probabilistic frameworks in the thesis. The objectives and organization of the thesis are also presented. Chapter two presents a detailed review of literature on the role of fibers in fiber reinforced soil. The details of experimental investigations carried out and models developed are explained briefly. Also, the literature pertaining to the role of variability in soil on its engineering behavior is presented. Based on the literature presented in this chapter, concluding remarks are made. Chapter three presents the details of a new mechanistic model developed based on modified Cam-clay model. This model considers the effect of fiber content and also the effect of anisotropy due to fibers. The predictions from the mechanistic model are compared with the experimental results. Under anisotropic condition, as angles of inclination of fiber vary from 0° to 90° with the bedding plane, it is observed that the strength increment in the reinforced soil is not as significant as that observed in isotropic case. Horizontal fibers turn out to be most effective since they are subjected to maximum extension thereby inducing tensile resistance which in turn contributes for strength increase in fiber reinforced soil. Chapter four presents a new approach to predict the stochastic stress-strain response of soil. Non-homogeneous Markov chain (multi-level homogeneous Markov chain) modeling is used in the prediction of stochastic response of soil. The statistical variations in the basic variables are taken into account by considering the response quantities (viz. stress at a given strain or settlement at a given load level) as random. A bi-level Homogeneous Markov chain predicts the stochastic stress-strain response efficiently. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results. An illustration of this model is done to predict the stochastic load-settlement response of cohesionless soil. A simple tri-level homogeneous Markov chain model is proposed to predict settlements of soil at a given load for an isolated square footing subjected to axial compression. A parametric study on the effect of correlation coefficient on the prediction of settlements is performed. Chapter five presents the results of probabilistic analysis carried out to determine the effect of number of fibers across the shear plane in improving the shear strength of soil. It is observed that as the percentage of fibers in the specimen increases, the probability of failure of specimen under the same stress condition reduces and thus the reliability of the fiber reinforced soil system increases. In Chapter six, a summary of the important conclusions from the various studies reported in the dissertation are presented.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 223).

Este trabalho apresenta a construção e instrumentação de uma estrutura de contenção reforçada com geotêxtil, com 4,0 m de altura, construída na cidade de Nova Odessa-SP. A instrumentação consistiu em medir os deslocamentos horizontais e verticais com barras de aço e placas magnéticas, respectivamente. Além disso, foram realizadas simulações numéricas para comparar os resultados medidos e simulados do protótipo e avaliar o comportamento da estrutura para alguns tipos de solo, rigidez da inclusão e arranjos das inclusões. Pode-se concluir que os resultados medidos e simulados estão concordantes. Através das análises paramétricas concluiu-se que aumentando-se a rigidez do solo reduz-se os deslocamentos horizontais da estrutura. Com o aumento na rigidez da inclusão obtém-se menores deslocamentos, no entanto, em solos muito rígidos esta redução é pouco significativa. As estruturas com maior número de reforços reduzem as tensões em cada inclusão e diminuem os deslocamentos horizontais da estrutura. As forças de tração máximas, mobilizadas nas inclusões, são maiores para solos menos rígidos. Alguns resultados de obras instrumentadas, encontrados na literatura, são apresentados e comparados com os medidos e simulados. Destas comparações concluiu-se que o tipo de solo é o fator que mais influencia no desempenho de estruturas de contenção reforçadas com geossintéticos / This work presents the construction and instrumentation of a geotextile reinforced retaining structure, with 4,0 m height, built in the city of Nova Odessa-SP. The instrumentation consisted of measuring the horizontal and vertical displacements with steel bars and magnetic plates, respectively. Numeric simulations were accomplished to compare the measured and simulated results of the prototype and to evaluate the behavior of the structure for some soil types, reinforcement rigidity and different reinforcement layout. It was concluded that the measured and simulated results are in good agreement. The parametric analyses showed that the amount of horizontal displacements of the structure are reduced when the rigidity of the soil increases. Although smaller displacements are obtained when the rigidity of the inclusion is increased, in very rigid soils this reduction is not very significant. Structures with larger number of reinforcements reduce the stresses in each inclusion, decreasing the horizontal displacements of the structure. The maximum tensile forces mobilized in the inclusions, are larger for less rigid soils. Some case record results documented in the literature are presented and compared with the measured and simulated results obtained in this work. These comparisons allowed to conclude that the soil type is the most relevant factor in the performance of reinforced retaining structure with geosynthetics

To acquire deeper understanding and insights into the mechanical behaviour of fibre reinforced saturated/unsaturated cohesive soils, a programme of work was designed and included. 1) Conducting standard Consolidation Undrained (CU) tests to investigate mechanical behaviour of non-reinforced fully saturated soil. 2) Studying the strength of fibre reinforced clay though unconfined compression tests. 3) Testing the behaviour of unsaturated reinforced soil in unsaturated triaxial tests. 4) Determining the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) on soil sample with different fibre content. The investigation was undertaken on a clay of low plasticity index. Samples tested with addition of 1, 3 and 5 % fibre content and different values of matric suction of 50, 100 and 200 kPa, one of the challenges that were encountered in this research are how to prepare homogenous samples. A method for prepared compacted fibre reinforced soils with improved fibre distribution and density profile has been proposed and examined. The test results indicated that waste carpet fibres increase the shear strength of unsaturated clay soils. It was also found that relative increase in strength is also a function of applied suction. An increase in waste carpet fibres was found to reduce the hysteresis of soil. A data analysis conducted on the results of unsaturated tests as a function of fibre content and matric suction. The behaviour modelled was shown to be a perfect fit with the experimental data.

O presente trabalho investigou o comportamento mecânico e hidráulico de novos materiais geotécnicos compósitos para a utilização em barreiras verticais do tipo Slurry Walls. Fundamentalmente, o objetivo do programa experimental foi analisar o comportamento tensão-deformação e a influência da poro-pressão, através de ensaios triaxiais e ensaios de compressão não-confinada em misturas solo-cimento-bentonita (SCB) e solo-cimentobentonita- fibra (SCBF) e também a condutividade hidráulica em misturas solo-bentonita-fibra (SBF) e solo-cimento-bentonita-fibra. As misturas testadas nos ensaios triaxiais, cisalhadas na condição não-drenada (CIU) com tensões efetivas entre 50 e 470 kPa, foram rompidas após um período de 7 dias de cura. Nestes ensaios, foram medidas as condutividades hidráulicas antes e após o cisalhamento dos corpos de prova, a fim de comparar e identificar o comportamento da condutividade quando as barreiras verticais são solicitadas.A condutividade hidráulica avaliada em permeâmetro de parede rígida para as misturas SBF e SCBF foram comparadas com resultados de misturas SB e SCB obtidos na literatura. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados indicaram uma mudança dos padrões de comportamento dos materiais compósitos em relação à situação sem reforço, como o aumento dos parâmetros de resistência ao cisalhamento e a diminuição das deformações volumétricas sob carregamento isotrópico. Os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica confirmaram que o comportamento do material não foi afetado pela adição das fibras. Já os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica realizados no equipamento triaxial demonstraram que a condutividade hidráulica aumenta após o cisalhamento do corpo de prova. / The present work aimed the investigation of the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of new geotechnical composite materials for use in vertical barrier walls (Slurry Walls). Fundamentally, the objective of the experimental program was to analyze the stress-strain behavior as well as the pore-pressure influence by means of triaxial tests, unconfined compression tests on mixtures of soil-cement-bentonite (SCB) and soil-cement-bentonitefiber (SCBF), and hydraulic conductivity tests on soil-bentonite-fiber (SBF) and soil-cementbentonite- fiber mixtures. The speciments formatted by the different mixtures were tested in the triaxial equipment, and sheared under consolidated isotropically undrained conditions (CIU) and efective stresses ranging from 50 to 470 kPa, after 7 days of curing. In these tests, the hydraulic conductivities were measured previously and after shearing the samples, in order to compare and identify the conductivity behavior at the moment in which the vertical barriers are requested. The hydraulic conductivity coefficients of SBF and SCBF mixtures obtained from rigid wall permeameter tests were compared with results existent in the literature for SB and SCB mixtures. The results indicated changes of the behavior standards for composite materials if compared with the unreinforced situation, such as increases of shear strength parameters and decreases of volumetric deformations under isotropic loading. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests confirmed that the behavior of the material is not affected by the addition of fibers. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests conducted in the triaxial equipment showed increases of the hydraulic conductivity coefficient after the shearing of the samples.

O presente trabalho investigou o comportamento mecânico e hidráulico de novos materiais geotécnicos compósitos para a utilização em barreiras verticais do tipo Slurry Walls. Fundamentalmente, o objetivo do programa experimental foi analisar o comportamento tensão-deformação e a influência da poro-pressão, através de ensaios triaxiais e ensaios de compressão não-confinada em misturas solo-cimento-bentonita (SCB) e solo-cimentobentonita- fibra (SCBF) e também a condutividade hidráulica em misturas solo-bentonita-fibra (SBF) e solo-cimento-bentonita-fibra. As misturas testadas nos ensaios triaxiais, cisalhadas na condição não-drenada (CIU) com tensões efetivas entre 50 e 470 kPa, foram rompidas após um período de 7 dias de cura. Nestes ensaios, foram medidas as condutividades hidráulicas antes e após o cisalhamento dos corpos de prova, a fim de comparar e identificar o comportamento da condutividade quando as barreiras verticais são solicitadas.A condutividade hidráulica avaliada em permeâmetro de parede rígida para as misturas SBF e SCBF foram comparadas com resultados de misturas SB e SCB obtidos na literatura. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados indicaram uma mudança dos padrões de comportamento dos materiais compósitos em relação à situação sem reforço, como o aumento dos parâmetros de resistência ao cisalhamento e a diminuição das deformações volumétricas sob carregamento isotrópico. Os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica confirmaram que o comportamento do material não foi afetado pela adição das fibras. Já os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica realizados no equipamento triaxial demonstraram que a condutividade hidráulica aumenta após o cisalhamento do corpo de prova. / The present work aimed the investigation of the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of new geotechnical composite materials for use in vertical barrier walls (Slurry Walls). Fundamentally, the objective of the experimental program was to analyze the stress-strain behavior as well as the pore-pressure influence by means of triaxial tests, unconfined compression tests on mixtures of soil-cement-bentonite (SCB) and soil-cement-bentonitefiber (SCBF), and hydraulic conductivity tests on soil-bentonite-fiber (SBF) and soil-cementbentonite- fiber mixtures. The speciments formatted by the different mixtures were tested in the triaxial equipment, and sheared under consolidated isotropically undrained conditions (CIU) and efective stresses ranging from 50 to 470 kPa, after 7 days of curing. In these tests, the hydraulic conductivities were measured previously and after shearing the samples, in order to compare and identify the conductivity behavior at the moment in which the vertical barriers are requested. The hydraulic conductivity coefficients of SBF and SCBF mixtures obtained from rigid wall permeameter tests were compared with results existent in the literature for SB and SCB mixtures. The results indicated changes of the behavior standards for composite materials if compared with the unreinforced situation, such as increases of shear strength parameters and decreases of volumetric deformations under isotropic loading. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests confirmed that the behavior of the material is not affected by the addition of fibers. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests conducted in the triaxial equipment showed increases of the hydraulic conductivity coefficient after the shearing of the samples.

O presente trabalho investigou o comportamento mecânico e hidráulico de novos materiais geotécnicos compósitos para a utilização em barreiras verticais do tipo Slurry Walls. Fundamentalmente, o objetivo do programa experimental foi analisar o comportamento tensão-deformação e a influência da poro-pressão, através de ensaios triaxiais e ensaios de compressão não-confinada em misturas solo-cimento-bentonita (SCB) e solo-cimentobentonita- fibra (SCBF) e também a condutividade hidráulica em misturas solo-bentonita-fibra (SBF) e solo-cimento-bentonita-fibra. As misturas testadas nos ensaios triaxiais, cisalhadas na condição não-drenada (CIU) com tensões efetivas entre 50 e 470 kPa, foram rompidas após um período de 7 dias de cura. Nestes ensaios, foram medidas as condutividades hidráulicas antes e após o cisalhamento dos corpos de prova, a fim de comparar e identificar o comportamento da condutividade quando as barreiras verticais são solicitadas.A condutividade hidráulica avaliada em permeâmetro de parede rígida para as misturas SBF e SCBF foram comparadas com resultados de misturas SB e SCB obtidos na literatura. Os resultados dos ensaios realizados indicaram uma mudança dos padrões de comportamento dos materiais compósitos em relação à situação sem reforço, como o aumento dos parâmetros de resistência ao cisalhamento e a diminuição das deformações volumétricas sob carregamento isotrópico. Os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica confirmaram que o comportamento do material não foi afetado pela adição das fibras. Já os ensaios de condutividade hidráulica realizados no equipamento triaxial demonstraram que a condutividade hidráulica aumenta após o cisalhamento do corpo de prova. / The present work aimed the investigation of the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of new geotechnical composite materials for use in vertical barrier walls (Slurry Walls). Fundamentally, the objective of the experimental program was to analyze the stress-strain behavior as well as the pore-pressure influence by means of triaxial tests, unconfined compression tests on mixtures of soil-cement-bentonite (SCB) and soil-cement-bentonitefiber (SCBF), and hydraulic conductivity tests on soil-bentonite-fiber (SBF) and soil-cementbentonite- fiber mixtures. The speciments formatted by the different mixtures were tested in the triaxial equipment, and sheared under consolidated isotropically undrained conditions (CIU) and efective stresses ranging from 50 to 470 kPa, after 7 days of curing. In these tests, the hydraulic conductivities were measured previously and after shearing the samples, in order to compare and identify the conductivity behavior at the moment in which the vertical barriers are requested. The hydraulic conductivity coefficients of SBF and SCBF mixtures obtained from rigid wall permeameter tests were compared with results existent in the literature for SB and SCB mixtures. The results indicated changes of the behavior standards for composite materials if compared with the unreinforced situation, such as increases of shear strength parameters and decreases of volumetric deformations under isotropic loading. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests confirmed that the behavior of the material is not affected by the addition of fibers. The results of hydraulic conductivity tests conducted in the triaxial equipment showed increases of the hydraulic conductivity coefficient after the shearing of the samples.

Este trabalho apresenta a construção e instrumentação de uma estrutura de contenção reforçada com geotêxtil, com 4,0 m de altura, construída na cidade de Nova Odessa-SP. A instrumentação consistiu em medir os deslocamentos horizontais e verticais com barras de aço e placas magnéticas, respectivamente. Além disso, foram realizadas simulações numéricas para comparar os resultados medidos e simulados do protótipo e avaliar o comportamento da estrutura para alguns tipos de solo, rigidez da inclusão e arranjos das inclusões. Pode-se concluir que os resultados medidos e simulados estão concordantes. Através das análises paramétricas concluiu-se que aumentando-se a rigidez do solo reduz-se os deslocamentos horizontais da estrutura. Com o aumento na rigidez da inclusão obtém-se menores deslocamentos, no entanto, em solos muito rígidos esta redução é pouco significativa. As estruturas com maior número de reforços reduzem as tensões em cada inclusão e diminuem os deslocamentos horizontais da estrutura. As forças de tração máximas, mobilizadas nas inclusões, são maiores para solos menos rígidos. Alguns resultados de obras instrumentadas, encontrados na literatura, são apresentados e comparados com os medidos e simulados. Destas comparações concluiu-se que o tipo de solo é o fator que mais influencia no desempenho de estruturas de contenção reforçadas com geossintéticos / This work presents the construction and instrumentation of a geotextile reinforced retaining structure, with 4,0 m height, built in the city of Nova Odessa-SP. The instrumentation consisted of measuring the horizontal and vertical displacements with steel bars and magnetic plates, respectively. Numeric simulations were accomplished to compare the measured and simulated results of the prototype and to evaluate the behavior of the structure for some soil types, reinforcement rigidity and different reinforcement layout. It was concluded that the measured and simulated results are in good agreement. The parametric analyses showed that the amount of horizontal displacements of the structure are reduced when the rigidity of the soil increases. Although smaller displacements are obtained when the rigidity of the inclusion is increased, in very rigid soils this reduction is not very significant. Structures with larger number of reinforcements reduce the stresses in each inclusion, decreasing the horizontal displacements of the structure. The maximum tensile forces mobilized in the inclusions, are larger for less rigid soils. Some case record results documented in the literature are presented and compared with the measured and simulated results obtained in this work. These comparisons allowed to conclude that the soil type is the most relevant factor in the performance of reinforced retaining structure with geosynthetics