Assessment of shear resistance of a geocomposite to ensure its stability on site and improve its design

Abstract

Geosynthetics are manufactured products in the form of a sheet that can be constituted by several specific layers binded to each other by various means (bonding, seam, etc.). When they are integrated on a slope, the links between the different layers are subjected to shearing stresses, which suppose sufficient resistance to ensure the overall stability of geosynthetics products and materials in contact with them. However, there is currently no standard that enables to measure the shearing internal resistance of a geosynthetic product. This lack of standard to justify the design of a geosynthetic implies that the product may be undersized which can compromise slope stability, or oversized which is penalising for the industrial company.