Abstract
An experimental research
study including a series of laboratory large displacement interface shear tests
between different particulate materials (rounded, angular sands) and smooth PVC
geomembranes, and additionally, a series of Shore D Hardness measurements were
conducted. The aim of this study is to investigate an easy and quick means of
predicting shear resistance/strength of sand-polymer interfaces indirectly from
the hardness of the continuum material (i.e. PVC geomembrane) at the interface
to establish a comparative analysis between direct test results and indirect
practical evaluation through hardness property based on an important interface
shear property; friction angle, (δ) at peak and
residual states measured directly from interface shear tests performed
in the laboratory as well as computed indirectly from empirical models
developed in the study for the case of different normal loading conditions
(i.e. normal stress levels:25, 100, 400 kPa). The results and analysis will be
presented throughout the paper demonstrate that the mobilized shear response
and the resulting frictional resistance of sand (rounded, angular) – PVC
geomembrane interface systems are highly dependent on a combination of loading
conditions, geomembrane physical material properties (i.e. hardness) and
particulate shape (i.e. angularity/roundness). For direct and indirect
assessment of the resultant [δPeak] and [δResidual]
values, the comparative analysis showed that a reasonable similarity between
the laboratory test results and the indirect analytical assessment analysis is
evident from the analogicalness of the experimentally measured values at the
predetermined normal stress levels (25, 100 and 400 kPa) to the computed values
from the proposed empirical correlation equations proposed in the paper.