TY - JOUR
T1 - Pullout resistance factors for steel MSE reinforcements embedded in gravelly backfill
AU - Jayawickrama, Priyantha W.
AU - Lawson, William D.
AU - Wood, Timothy A.
AU - Surles, James G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
PY - 2015/2/1
Y1 - 2015/2/1
N2 - This paper presents results from a laboratory program of 287 pullout tests of galvanized steel reinforcements used in the construction of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Results focus on the evaluation of pullout resistance factors for ribbed steel strip and welded steel grid reinforcement embedded in gravelly backfill. This project used Texas Tech University's large-scale MSE test box with dimensions of 3.6 × 3.6 × 1.2 m and an applied overburden capacity equivalent to 12 m of soil fill. The research design evaluated pullout resistance factors for both ribbed strip and welded grid reinforcements for a variety of independent variables, including overburden pressure, reinforcement length, grid bar size, and grid geometry including both transverse and longitudinal bar spacing. Appropriate statistical analyses were used to interpret the data within the context of published design guidance for inextensible MSE reinforcements. The results show that pullout resistance factors for both ribbed strips and welded grids in properly compacted gravelly backfill are significantly higher than those obtained for reinforcements embedded in sandy backfill, as well as default pullout resistance factors. In addition, the results obtained for welded grids indicate that transverse and longitudinal bar spacing, factors not considered in the current formulation, have significant influence on the pullout resistance capacity.
AB - This paper presents results from a laboratory program of 287 pullout tests of galvanized steel reinforcements used in the construction of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Results focus on the evaluation of pullout resistance factors for ribbed steel strip and welded steel grid reinforcement embedded in gravelly backfill. This project used Texas Tech University's large-scale MSE test box with dimensions of 3.6 × 3.6 × 1.2 m and an applied overburden capacity equivalent to 12 m of soil fill. The research design evaluated pullout resistance factors for both ribbed strip and welded grid reinforcements for a variety of independent variables, including overburden pressure, reinforcement length, grid bar size, and grid geometry including both transverse and longitudinal bar spacing. Appropriate statistical analyses were used to interpret the data within the context of published design guidance for inextensible MSE reinforcements. The results show that pullout resistance factors for both ribbed strips and welded grids in properly compacted gravelly backfill are significantly higher than those obtained for reinforcements embedded in sandy backfill, as well as default pullout resistance factors. In addition, the results obtained for welded grids indicate that transverse and longitudinal bar spacing, factors not considered in the current formulation, have significant influence on the pullout resistance capacity.
KW - Earth reinforcement
KW - Gravel backfill
KW - Internal stability
KW - Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE)
KW - Pullout resistance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84921341901&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001192
DO - 10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001192
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84921341901
VL - 141
JO - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
JF - Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
SN - 1090-0241
IS - 2
M1 - 04014090
ER -