Evaluation of Interface Shear Strength Properties of Geogrid Reinforced Foamed Recycled Glass Using a Large-Scale Direct Shear Testing Apparatus

Arul Arulrajah,Wisanukorn Samingthong,Suksun Horpibulsuk,Farshid Maghoolpilehrood,Yan-Jun Du,Shui-Long Shen

doi:10.1155/2015/235424

Abstract

The interface shear strength properties of geogrid reinforced recycled foamed glass (FG) were determined using a large-scale direct shear test (DST) apparatus. Triaxial geogrid was used as a geogrid reinforcement. The geogrid increases the confinement of FG particles during shear; consequently the geogrid reinforced FG exhibits smaller vertical displacement and dilatancy ratio than FG at the same normal stress. The failure envelope of geogrid reinforced FG, at peak and critical states, coincides and yields a unique linear line possibly attributed to the crushing of FG particles and the rearrangement of crushed FG after peak shear state. The interface shear strength coefficientαis approximately constant at 0.9. This value can be used as the interface parameter for designing a reinforced embankment and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall when FG is used as a lightweight backfill and triaxial geogrid is used as an extensible earth reinforcement. This research will enable FG, recently assessed as suitable for lightweight backfills, to be used together with geogrids in a sustainable manner as a lightweight MSE wall. The geogrid carries tensile forces, while FG reduces bearing stresses imposed on the in situ soil. The use of geogrid reinforced FG is thus significant from engineering, economical, and environmental perspectives.

Highlights

Lightweight fill materials are increasingly being used as construction materials in civil engineering applications
It is found that α value varies in a narrow band and can be considered as constant of 0.9 based on the linear regression analysis (Figure 8). This value can be used as the interface parameter for reinforced embankment and mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall when foamed glass (FG) is used as a lightweight backfill and triaxial geogrids are used for earth reinforcement
Tests were undertaken on each of the respective FG aggregates when reinforced with triaxial geogrids

Summary

Introduction

Lightweight fill materials are increasingly being used as construction materials in civil engineering applications. The interface shear strength properties of residual soil and construction and demolition materials with geosynthetics using large-scale direct shear tests have been undertaken in recent years [33,34,35]. There has been interest in the development of lightweight foamed materials with the usage of waste materials in engineering applications [36, 37]. Recycled waste glass is a viable construction material for embankments and pavement subbases [21, 28, 38,39,40,41], footpath bases [42], and problematic soil treatment [43, 44]. Engineering and environmental evaluation of FG has recently been assessed to be suitable as a lightweight embankment fill material [38, 39]

Methods

Results

Conclusion