Relationship between NP GCL Internal and HDPE GMX/NP GCL Interface Shear Strengths
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 8
Abstract
An investigation was conducted on the relationship between the internal shear strength of hydrated needle-punched (NP) geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) and the interface shear strength between hydrated NP GCLs (nonwoven side) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) textured geomembranes (GMXs). New large-scale direct shear data are presented and compared to previous results obtained using similar materials and procedures. The data indicate that both GCLs and GMX/GCL interfaces display large postpeak strength reduction, even at high normal stress. Peak and large-displacement failure envelopes are nonlinear; except for the GCL internal residual strength envelope, which passes through the origin and has a friction angle of 4.8°. GMX/GCL interfaces can be expected to have lower peak strengths and higher large-displacement strengths than GCL internal shear specimens. However, the failure mode for GMX/GCL specimens can change from interface shear to GCL internal shear as normal stress increases. Design for peak strength conditions should be based on the lowest peak strength interface in a liner system, and design for large displacement conditions should be on the basis of the residual strength of the same interface.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this investigation was provided by Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDCMMI-0800030 from the Geotechnical Engineering Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation and by a grant from CETCO of Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Geosynthetic materials were provided by CETCO and Agru America of Georgetown, South Carolina. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The writers thank Peter Chiu, Robert Kim, Michael Rowland, John Scheithe, and Eric Triplett, who conducted the previous research presented in this paper, and Alexander Stern, who assisted with the current experimental work. Review comments from Christos Athanassopoulos of CETCO are greatly appreciated.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 8 • August 2011
Pages: 743 - 753
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 9, 2009
Accepted: Dec 6, 2010
Published online: Dec 9, 2010
Published in print: Aug 1, 2011
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