Investigating the effect of temperature and water freezing on the response of geogrid composite

Abstract

Geosynthetics can be exposed to varying temperature and moisture conditions when embedded in soil, which can affect their mechanical properties. However, existing testing standards do not account for extreme environmental conditions such as low temperatures and ice formation. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of temperature variation and ice formation on the tensile properties of dry and wet geosynthetics by conducting single-rib tensile tests on a wicking geogrid composite in a temperature chamber. Tensile stress–strain curves were obtained at various temperatures for dry samples (−40°C to 40°C) and wet samples (0°C to −40°C). It was found that, with a decrease in temperature, the tensile strength and stiffness of dry and wet samples increased while the ultimate strain decreased. The freezing of water in wet samples also accelerated the rates of increase in ultimate strength and decrease in ultimate strain. The failure mode of the geogrid composite also changed with temperature, occurring at the middle junction at higher temperatures and closer to the end junctions with a fibrous appearance at lower temperatures. These findings provide insights into the significance of varying environmental conditions on geosynthetic properties.