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

Abstract Large direct shear tests with inclined geotextile and hexagonal wire mesh reinforcements have been conducted to investigate the mobilized inclination and reinforcement strain during shear at the vicinity of the failure surface using different reinforcement stiffness. The displacements of the reinforcement and surrounding soil at the vicinity of the shear surface were measured using wire extensometers connected to LVDTs. The mobilized strain and orientation of reinforcement are presented as functions of shear displacements. The results demonstrated that the maximum orientation of the reinforcements are not greater than the bisectional direction and have not reached the tangential direction. The mobilized orientation of reinforcing force seems independent of geotextile stiffness. The local strains mobilized in the geotextile decreased with increasing geotextile stiffness and slightly increase with increasing confining stress. The deformations of both the hexagonal wire mesh and the geotextile reinforcement at the vicinity of the shear surface have been found to be similar in shape and assumed to be parabolic.