This study focuses on the development of a pullout device that can be used to evaluate the effects of thermal softening on geosynthetics confined in compacted soil. The new pullout box incorporates standard elements such as roller grips, a setup to apply tensile loads in load-control conditions for pullout or creep testing, instrumentation for measurement of vertical displacements under constant normal stress conditions, and instrumentation to measure global and internal pullout displacements. The box also incorporates heating elements at the top and bottom of the soil layer, along with an array of dielectric sensors for measurement of soil temperature and volumetric water content. Results are presented to show the effects of transient heat transfer and water flow in the backfill soil on the pullout creep of a woven polypropylene geotextile. The preliminary results indicate the importance of considering the combined roles of unsaturated conditions and temperature on the pullout response of geosynthetics.
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