Computer Simulation of Mechanical Properties of Nonwoven Geotextiles in Soil-Fabric Interaction

The mechanical behavior of nonwoven geotextiles in soil-fabric interaction is in vestigated through laboratory experiments and theoretical analysis. A computer model is presented to simulate geotextile performance in pullout tests. The model parameters are based on single fiber properties and the fiber orientation distribution function. A new finite element method is used to calculate numeral solutions of stress and strain distribution in different regions developed in the fabric during the pullout test. The pullout load versus displacement curves of the samples verify the simulated results, which are in good agreement with those obtained from pullout experiments.