Analysis of cyclic shear characteristics of reinforced soil interfaces under cyclic loading and unloading

The cyclic properties of geosynthetic soil interface are crucial for reinforced soil structures subject to seismic loading. A series of cyclic direct tests under cyclic normal loading was conducted on geogrid-gravel interface. The relationship among the amplitudes of cyclic normal loading and shear displacement and frequencies in the horizontal and vertical directions with interface shear strength and volume change was investigated. Test results showed that the relative time shift, shear stiffness, and enhance coefficient increased with increasing amplitude of cyclic normal loading. The interface exhibited shear hardening and softening with increasing amplitude of shear displacement. The vertical displacement decreased with increasing amplitude of cyclic normal loading but increased with increasing amplitude of shear displacement. Furthermore, three patterns were analysed for different frequencies in two loading directions. The value of vertical displacement was largest when the normal loading impact frequency was larger than the cyclic horizontal shear frequency, and smallest at equal frequencies in two loading directions. The shear stiffness was positively correlated with the amplitude of cyclic normal loading. However, it was negatively correlated with the amplitude of shear displacement. The value of the damping ratio was smallest under constant normal loading at a shear displacement amplitude of 0.5 mm.