Journal Published Online: 09 October 2018
Volume 42, Issue 5

Element Nail Pullout Tests for Prediction of Soil Nail Pullout Resistance in Expansive Clays

CODEN: GTJODJ

Abstract

The performance of soil nail systems relies primarily on soil-nail interaction, which is especially complex for nails embedded in clay materials. Soil-nail interaction is difficult to predict in these soils because of the effect of moisture-induced stress and swelling along the interface between soil and nail. As part of this investigation, tests were conducted to characterize the soil-nail interface shearing mechanisms using a novel element nail pullout device that involves comparatively short nails embedded in soils under varying degrees of saturation. Additionally, a large-scale pullout test, involving inundation and loading phases, was conducted using soil nails embedded in expansive clays. The soil-nail interface shearing mechanisms identified with the element nail pullout device and the vertical rise measurements of the clay from the inundation test were used within a load transfer theoretical framework aimed at predicting the response of soil nails in expansive clays. This load transfer framework provided a very good prediction of the large-scale pullout test results using the data collected from the element nail pullout tests.

Author Information

Chen, Changfu
College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Zhang, Genbao
College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Zornberg, Jorge Gabriel
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Zheng, Xinxiu
College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
Pages: 24
Price: $25.00
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Details
Stock #: GTJ20170431
ISSN: 0149-6115
DOI: 10.1520/GTJ20170431