Measurement of unsaturated soil – geomembrane interface shear-strength parameters

Laboratory tests of soil–geomembrane interface shear strength are typically carried out with no provision for the measurement of pore pressures at the soil–geomembrane interface. This paper describes a series of soil–geomembrane interface shear tests carried out with continuous measurement of suction close to the interface during the shearing process. The tests were conducted using a modified direct shear box with a miniature pore-pressure transducer installed adjacent to the surface of the geomembrane. Results of the interface shear tests conducted using this method show that it is quite effective in evaluating shear behaviour at the interface between a geomembrane and an unsaturated soil at low matric suction values. The results suggest that soil suction contributes to shearing resistance at low normal stress values. At higher normal stress values, the interface shear behaviour appears to be governed only by the magnitude of total normal stress.Key words: geomembrane, interface shear strength, suction, direct shear test, pore-pressure transducer.