Abstract
In the repair work for aging embankments of small earth dams, the installation of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) has been proposed as an alternative solution of constructing the sloping core zone. However, the design standard has not yet been established due to limited investigation on the mechanical characteristics of GCLs laid in small earth dams. In this study, direct shear tests were conducted on needle-punched GCL/mixed soil simulating embankment soil interfaces. It is revealed that extrusion of powdered bentonite from hydrated GCLs is observed on the interface between woven geotextile surface and silica sand, which does not cause the reduction of shear strength under low confining pressure.
