Theory of Soil / Geotextile Interaction

In this study, soil/geotextile interaction is characterized by the following general equation-τ = τa + tan δ*( σnor)n-where τ and σnor are shear and normal stresses on the failure plane at failure, τa is the soil/fabric adhesion component, and δ* and n are friction indexes. This equation provides a general relationship in which the classical Mohr-Coulomb law is considered as a special case. It holds for a wide range of normal stresses and describes soil/geotextile interaction in terms of material-related parameters. A theoretical interpretation of the effects of critical factors affecting soil / geotextile interaction is based on this equation. The four main factors examined are soil/geotextile adhesion, normal stress, deformation of junctions at the soil/fabric interface, and surface roughness. To evaluate interactive deformational modes of soil / geotextile systems, a pull-out test device was designed and constructed and used to test woven and nonwoven textiles. Identified interactive modes were divided...