Localized mobilization of reinforcement force and its direction at the vicinity of failure surface

Large direct shear tests with inclined geotextile and hexagonal wire mesh r einforcements have been conducted to investigate the mobilized inclination and reinforcement strain during shear at the vicinity of the failure surfac e using different reinforcement stiffness. The displacements of the reinfor cement and surrounding soil at the vicinity of the shear surface were measu red using wire extensometers connected to LVDTs. The mobilized strain and o rientation of reinforcement are presented as functions of shear displacemen ts. The results demonstrated that the maximum orientation of the reinforcem ents are not greater than the bisectional direction and have not reached th e tangential direction. The mobilized orientation of reinforcing force seem s independent of geotextile stiffness. The local strains mobilized in the g eotextile decreased with increasing geotextile stiffness and slightly incre ase with increasing confining stress. The deformations of both the hexagona l wire mesh and the geotextile reinforcement at the vicinity of the shear s urface have been found to be similar in shape and assumed to be parabolic. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.