Title: Numerical investigations of the interface behaviour between granular soil and a geogrid reinforcement

Authors: Erich Bauer, Sendy F. Tantono

Addresses: Institute of Applied Mechanics, Graz University of Technology, Technikerstrasse 4/II, A-8010, Graz, Austria. ' Institute of Applied Mechanics, Graz University of Technology, Technikerstrasse 4/II, A-8010, Graz, Austria

Abstract: In this paper the interface behaviour between a cohesionless granular soil and a rigid geogrid reinforcement under shearing is numerically investigated using a continuum approach. Particular attention is paid to the influence of grain size, initial density, vertical pressure and fluctuations of the rotation resistance of soil particles interlocked within the geogrid cells. To model the essential mechanical properties of granular soil a micro-polar hypoplastic description is used which takes into account stress and couple stress, pressure dependent limit void ratios and the mean grain size as the characteristic length. The results obtained from the 2D-finite element calculations show that the interaction of the reinforcement with the soil material has a strong influence on the deformation of the soil around the reinforcement.

Keywords: soil reinforcement; soil-structure interface; micro-polar continuum; hypoplasticity; interface behaviour; granular soils; geogrid reinforcement; grain size; initial density; vertical pressure; rotation resistance; soil particles; modelling; mechanical properties; finite element method; FEM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2009.022699

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2009 Vol.34 No.1, pp.23 - 32

Published online: 25 Jan 2009 *

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