Experimental Study on Shear Mechanism Caused by Textured Geomembrane

돌기형 지오멤브레인에 의한 전단 메카니즘에 관한 실험 연구

This paper summarizes the results of a study which uses the recently developed Optical Profile Microscopy technique (Dove and Frost, 1996) as the basis for investigating the role of geomembrane surface roughness on the shear mechanism of geomembrane/geotextile interfaces. The alternative roughness parameters which consider the direction of shearing are described. These directional parameters are compared with the existing roughness parameters, and the relationship between these directional and non-directional parameters are investigated. Then, the relationship between interface shear strength and surface roughness quantified at the interface is investigated. The results show that interface friction can be quantitatively related to the surface roughness of the geomembrane. The peak and residual interface strengths increase dramatically through the use of textured geomembranes as opposed to smooth geomembranes. For the smooth geomembranes, the sliding of the geotextile is the main shear mechanism. For the textured geomembranes, the peak interface strength is mainly mobilized through the micro-texture of the geomembrane, however, the residual interface strength is primarily attributed to macro scale surface roughness which pulls out and breaks the filaments from the geotextile. The results of this study can be extended to the other interfaces such as joints in rock mass, and also can be used to provide a quantitative framework that can lead to a significantly improved basis for the selection and design of geotextiles and geomembranes in direct contact.