UC San Diego

This study involves the use of physical modeling to investigate the thermo-hydromechanical response of a thermally active soil-geosynthetic system. Specifically, load-settlement tests were performed on layers of compacted, unsaturated silt with a woven polypropylene geosynthetic embedded at mid-height before and after application of heat to the base of the soil layers. Changes in temperature and relative humidity at the soil layer boundaries were monitored during heating, while dielectric sensors embedded in the soil layer are used to monitor the temperature and water content with depth. Comparison of the load-settlement curves measured under ambient and elevated temperatures indicate an increase in stiffness of the overall system due to heating. This indicates that the impact of thermally induced water flow has a greater positive effect on the mechanical response of the soil-geosynthetic system than the negative effect of thermal softening of the geosynthetic.