Pullout Resistance of Georgia Stabilized Earth Mesh Embedded in Compacted Sand

摘要

A detailed laboratory investigation of the pullout resistance of the GASE mesh in sands was conducted. The tests were conducted in a large scale pullout box and utilized a specially designed clamping system to minimize the influence of box boundary conditions. A hydraulic control panel designed for the project was able to control the post peak response of the grid-soil composite. Sands selected for testing represent the range of sands currently being considered by GaDOT as backfill for GASE applications. Pullout test results were very consistent and demonstrated the coupled effects of normal pressure and soil type on reinforced soil behavior. The results of the study compared favorably with the results of previous investigations using inextensible reinforcement. In the present study, the two sands used both produced bearing capacity factors in excess of the factors currently utilized by GaDOT. Therefore, it appears that either of the tested sands could be utilized in upcoming GASE wall projects without alteration of current practice.