Abstract
Internal shear strength of geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) is of vital importance for the stability of waste containment facilities where GCLs are widely used as hydraulic barriers. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the internal shear strength of hydrated needle-punched geosynthetic clay liners (NP GCLs) under monotonic loading. A new dynamic direct shear apparatus with the capability to cover a large range of normal stress and displacement rate is developed. Series of direct shear tests on NP GCL for different normal stress levels and displacement rates are performed. The failure mechanism of hydrated GCL is explored through inspection of tested specimens and analysis of test results. The intrinsic relationship between peak/residual shear strength of NP GCL and displacement rate is also studied. Experimental results indicated that displacement rate has obvious effect on the peak shear strength of NP GCL, while the influence of displacement rate on residual shear strength is of little significance for the same normal stress level.
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