Performance of a geosynthetic cementitious composite mat for stabilising sandy slopes

Abstract

In recent years, there has been much research interest in soil erosion and slope failure due to seepage and rainfall, especially toward finding new technologies/materials with which to stabilise soil slopes. Many geosynthetic materials have been developed to stabilise soil slopes while also being environmentally friendly and convenient for construction. In this study, the performance of a novel geosynthetic cementitious composite mat (GCCM) is studied regarding its ability to stabilise soil slopes. Physical model tests are performed on sandy soil slopes under seepage conditions both with and without GCCM stabilisation. Particle image velocimetry is used to measure the soil displacement, and standpipe piezometers are used to monitor the pore water pressure of the slope. The results show that the slope displacement with GCCM stabilisation is much smaller than that without it. The presence of the GCCM constrains the displacement near the slope surface to being along the slope, whereas without the GCCM the slope can deform freely especially in the middle to upper zone of slope area. The results indicate that the GCCM performs well at slope stabilisation.