Comparisons on the Interface Shear Strength of Geosynthetics Evaluated by Using Various Kinds of Testing Methods

The shear behavior of four different interfaces consisting of four types of geosynthetics was investigated, and both static and dynamic test for the geosynthetic interfaces were conducted. The monotonic shear experiments were performed by using an inclined board apparatus and large direct shear device. The interface shear strength obtained from the inclined board test was compared with calculated values from large direct shear tests. The comparison results indicated that direct shear tests show high possibility to over-predict the shear strength in the low normal stress range where direct shear tests are not performed. Curved failure envelopes were also obtained for interface cases where two static shear tests were conducted. By comparing the friction angles measured from three tests, i.e. direct shear, inclined board, and shaking table test, it was found that the friction angle might be different depending on the test method and normal stresses applied in the research. Therefore, it was concluded that the testing method should be determined carefully by considering the type of loads and the normal stress expected in the field with using the geosynthetic materials installed in the site.