Centrifuge model test of geotextile-reinforced soil slopes during drawdown

Geotextiles are widely used to reinforce embankments and soil slopes. However, the geotextile reinforcement mechanism during drawdown is not well understood. Centrifuge model tests were conducted to observe the deformation and failure of geotextile-reinforced and unreinforced slopes during drawdown. The test shows that the geotextile significantly reduces the deformation and increases the slope stability. The slope deformation is restricted by the geotextile for water levels lower then a critical point and anchored by the geotextile at higher levels. The geotextile transmitted the interior restriction to the exterior of the slope via the soil-geotextile interaction. Thus, the deformation was more uniformly distributed. The geotextile delayed deformation localization, the precondition for slope failure.