ABSTRACT
The recent development of new geosynthetics such as composite fabrics has enabled the construction of steep earthfilled structures utilizing a high water content volcanic cohesive soils such as Kanto loam and/or construction by-products which have never been used as fill materials. Recently developed composite fabric which has a sandwich structure of woven fabrics in between non-woven fabrics and its woven fabric has more tensile strength than gcogrids and its non-woven fabrics have the drainage effect. However, the current design method of non-woven fabric reinforced earthfill considers the effect of drainage only. On the contrary, the current design method of geogrid or woven fabric considers the reinforcing effect only. Therefore, this paper propose a new design method of composite fabrics-reinforced earth fill considering the reinforcing effect together with strength increase of the volcanic loam caused mainly by drainage. This paper considers also the soil-fabric interaction and the effect of composite fabric on the final performance of steep earthfill structures.
