ABSTRACT
The comprehension of rainwater infiltration effect into Geosynthetic Mechanically Stabilized Earth (GMSE) walls is required to precisely predict the mobilized tensile loads in design analyses. A laboratory-testing device that simulate a geosynthetic-reinforced layer was used to assess the water infiltration effects in tensile loads mobilized by the reinforcement. The experimental device allows applying a controlled infiltration rate over a reinforced layer and capture the mechanical response from backfill soil to geosynthetic during infiltration. Water content profile, horizontal pressure variations, reinforcement tensile load and strain were provided by the monitoring program. The results demonstrated that the infiltration led to reinforcement strains and loads up to 15% of the ultimate tensile load. In addition, the rates of increases were found to be directly related to the average matric suction of the reinforced-layer.
