Analytical Modeling of Geotextiles in Ocean Engineering Applications

Geotextiles are permeable, synthetic fabrics which may be incorporated into a composite ocean structure to stabilize deformable geologic materials. A two-dimensional analytical model is developed for a three layered system: two soils separated by a geotextile. The soil response is modeled by Biot consolidation theory and an un- steady form of Darcy\´s law in which each soil layer is considered homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic. The soils are coupled through the geotextile which acts as a deformable, permeable membrane. The solution for pore pressure response is frequency selective, the higher frequencies being more highly damped. The displacements and stresses are also frequency selective in that for a particular soil condition a "worst wave" exists which produces maximum soil displacements and stresses.