Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Tensile load in geotextile
container during the opening
of the split barge
This appendix describes the overall methodology used to determine the tensile load
generated in a geotextile container while opening the split barge, based on the theory
described in [17] and [22]. For more detailed information these two references should
be consulted.
The geotextile container goes through four stages during the opening of the split
barge (see Figure F.1).
I: stretching of the lower part of the geotextile during the beginning of the barge
opening;
II: shift of the container towards the barge opening without noticeable deformation;
III: shift of the container through the barge opening with deformation of the
lower part of the geotextile;
IV: passage of the container through the barge opening with deformation of the
entire geotextile.
STAGE I
To facilitate the dumping of the geotextile container during opening of the split barge,
the geotextile is laid folded on the floor of the barge. When the barge is opened, the
folded part drops through the opening. Subsequently, when increasing the opening,
the geotextile becomes subject to tensile loads. The tensile loads are in equilibrium
with the friction between the geotextile and the sides of the split barge. The suspended
part, and the tensile load generated, are greater the further the split barge is opened.
This continues until the tensile load is great enough so that the other parts of the geo-
textile begin to shift downwards. The maximum tensile load in the geotextile during
this first stage of the opening of the split barge can be written as:
′
W
L
⋅
⋅
(F.1)
T
05
.
an(
)
5
t
=
ϕ
−
where:
T
=
tensile load in the geotextile [kN/m];
W
′
=
submerged weight of the geotextile container [kN];
