Engineering Properties of Geotextile Sand Containers and Their Effect on Hydraulic Stability and Damage Development of Low-Crested / Submerged Structures

Abstract

Despite the considerable development of Geotextile Sand Container (GSC) technology, no proper design guidelines are yet available for the design of GSC-structures on a sound scientific base. This on-going research study aims to focus on developing simplified formulae and a computational tool for the design of GSC-structures. The significance of important engineering properties including the type geotextile material, the sand fill ratio, the interface friction, and their influence on the hydraulic stability of GSC-structures will also be evaluated. For this purpose and in order to better understand the effects of these properties on the hydraulic stability of GSC-structures, a series of systematic laboratory experiments were conducted. In this paper some of the most important findings are discussed, including the implications for the design practice.