ON THE REQUIRED CONNECTION STRENGTH OF GEOSYNTHETICALLY REINFORCED WALLS

The use of geosynthetics for reinforcing retaining walls, bridge abutments, and wing walls has progressed rapidly during the last decade. Design of the reinforcement, and its necessary testing, have advanced similarly. However, there have been doubts about the connection strength of the reinforcement to the wall facing. The mathematical and numerical calculations in this paper show that the required connection force is very small, so that almost all known wall systems can mobilise such forces. There is still concern about several short-term and long-term issues during and after wall construction, which could add to the theoretically required connection strength. This paper discusses these issues individually, and classifies them into three types of stress mobilising situations: (1) uniform settlement; (2) localised asymmetric deformation; and (3) localised symmetric deformation. The paper gives a parametric evaluation of each situation, to illustrate how far the connection stresses could increase beyond their theoretical values under a hypothetical set of conditions. Although these values can become high, all harmful scenarios can and should be avoided. As long as proper design is followed by proper construction, there need thus be no urgent concern about connection strength.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02661144
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • SOONG, T-Y
  • Koerner, R M
• Publication Date: 1997

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 377-93
• Serial:
  • Geotextiles and Geomembranes
  • Volume: 15
  • Issue Number: 4-6
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0266-1144

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Abutments; Bridges; Calculation; Classification; Deformation; Design; Force; Geotextiles; Ground settlement; Improvements; Mathematical models; Reinforcement (Engineering); Reinforcing materials; Retaining walls; Strength of materials; Stresses; Test procedures
• ITRD Terms: 3424: Abutment; 3455: Bridge; 6464: Calculation; 8513: Classification; 5595: Deformation; 9011: Design (overall design); 5421: Force; 4568: Geotextile; 9108: Improvement; 6473: Mathematical model; 3471: Reinforcement (in mater); 3359: Retaining wall; 5792: Settlement; 5544: Strength (mater); 5575: Stress (in material); 6288: Test method
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Geotechnology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00790270
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Apr 11 2000 12:00AM