Theoretical versus experimental modeling of the anchorage capacity of geotextiles in trenches

The behavior of the anchorage of geotextile sheets at the top of a slope is a decisive factor when determining the dimensions of geosynthetic lining systems on slopes. In order to optimize the geometry of the structures in question (to reduce the area taken up by the anchorage at the top of the slope), anchorage solutions using trenches of varying forms are sometimes used. Calculating the required dimensions of this anchorage remains problematic. To improve knowledge of the behavior of anchor trenches, experimental studies and numerical studies were developed. Full-scale pull-out tests were carried out on anchored geotextile sheets (run-out anchorage and anchor trenches). Two types of soil were studied: sand and sandy silt. The numerical modeling proposed was based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM). This method is particularly well suited to the problem being addressed, for it enables consideration of major movements and large-scale deformation of the soil (rotation, compression, and lifting) as well as large displacements between the geotextile and the soil. Comparisons between the experimental and numerical results provide practical conclusions concerning anchorage mechanisms.