Abstract:

This article presents the results of tests on geogrids conducted using the Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method and those of numerical simulations of laboratory tests on the geogrid using the wide-width strip method. DIC allowed for the non-contact determination of displacements and strains for the entire surface of the samples of geosynthetics tested. The results of the laboratory tests and numerical simulations have been compared. The results of the tests and analyses indicate that the DIC method is an effective tool for evaluating the parameters of geogrids used in GRS systems and in pavement structures. In addition to the standard deformation image for the averaged base, analysis of deformations in any direction and at any point on the surface of the geogrid is possible. The measurement method applied also opens  possibilities for validation of  numerical models of geogrids made using the finite element method (FEM).