Dynamic Shear Degradation of Geosynthetic-Soil Interface in Waste Landfill Sites

Geosynthetics and soil particles inevitably come into contact, resulting in a geosynthetic-soil interface. The discontinuity of the materials at the interface causes an intricate shear response, especially under dynamic loads. In the present study, the effects of chemical aggressors of the leachate from a waste landfill site on the cyclic shear behaviors of a geosynthetic-soil interface were investigated. The Multi-Purpose Interface Apparatus (M-PIA) that can simulate cyclic simple shear conditions was utilized, and 72 sets of cyclic simple shear tests were conducted. The Disturbed State Concept (DSC) was employed to quantitatively estimate the shear stress degradation. As a result, new disturbance functions and parameters that represent the characteristics of the dynamic shear degradation at the interface were evaluated. Additionally, a numerical back-prediction was performed to verify the accuracy and applicability of the DSC parameters. Numerical interpolation procedures were suggested and enabled to reproduce the degradation successfully. Consequently, a general methodology was established to estimate the cyclic shear stress degradation of the geosynthetic-soil interface in consideration of chemical effects.