Numerical modeling of soil-geosynthetic interaction

Geosynthetics are being used for a wide range of civil engineering applications such as reinforced earth fills, soft foundations etc. The use of geosynthetics can greatly increase the efficiency while reducing the cost of the project. The objective of this research is to study the pullout resistance of the geosynthetic and the effect of friction on the soil-geosynthetic interface. Finite element analysis was performed on different sizes of pullout box to match load-displacement results with that found during laboratory experiments. Friction coefficient was selected by trial and error method to match the load-displacement curves calculated from the laboratory experiments to that found from the finite element analysis. Models were made using three different soils; sand, silt, and clay at 0%, 10%, and 15% moisture content under normal pressures of 5 psi, 10 psi, and 15 psi