Experimental Investigations on the Tensile Mechanical Behavior of HDPE Geocell Strip

Geocells are commonly adopted in various engineering constructions, such as railways and ports. Currently, the reinforcement effects and mechanisms of geocells in engineering is being widely studied, while limited studies have been performed on the mechanical behavior of geocell strips. Uncertainties regarding their performance have impeded the wide application of geocells in engineering fields. In this paper, a series of tensile tests and trapezoidal tests were performed on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geocell strips. The effects regarding specimen shape, specimen width, and welding junction on the tensile mechanical behavior of HDPE geocell strips were investigated. Additionally, the results of the tensile test and trapezoidal test were also compared. The test results showed that the tensile strength of a HDPE geocell strip was less affected by the specimen shape and specimen width, within 5%. However, the elongation of HDPE strips was sensitive to the specimen shape, and the difference between type I dumbbell and type II rectangular was up to 38%. The effect of the welding junction on the HDPE strip cannot be ignored, the strength retention rate of the welding junction was 76.3%. The curve of the trapezoidal test was similar to that of the tensile test, and the force of trapezoidal test was 0.87 times that of the tensile test. The test results can provide a reference for the testing of strip performance and structural design.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the tensile mechanical behavior of HDPE geocell strips through a series of tensile tests and trapezoidal tests. The effects of specimen shape, specimen width, and welding junction on the mechanical behavior are studied. The results show that the tensile strength is less affected by the specimen shape and width, but the elongation is sensitive to the shape. The welding junction also has a significant impact on the strip's strength retention rate. The trapezoidal test results are comparable to the tensile test results.