Mechanically Stabilized Earth Reinforcement Tensile Strength from Tests of Geotextile-Reinforced Soil

TLDR: In this article, the tensile force in a reinforced bridge abutment is calculated for cylinders reinforced with geotextiles at 6-in. (152mm) vertical spacing.

Abstract: Bridge abutments made of geotextile-reinforced soil have been shown to support the bridge load without the use of piles. However, current design procedures are considered to be conservative. To determine the strength, and to understand better the behavior of reinforced soil, large unconfined cylindrical soil samples reinforced with geosynthetics were axisymmetrically loaded. Samples were 2.5 ft (0.76 m) in diameter and 5 ft (1.52 m) in height. Peak strengths of 4.8 kips/ft2 (230 kPa) to 9.6 kips/ft2 (460 kPa) at 3% to 8.5% vertical strain were obtained from cylinders reinforced with geotextiles at 6-in. (152-mm) vertical spacing. A strength reduction occurred after the peak strength, but most of the loads were sustained up to at least 10% strain before yielding. Tension in the reinforcement appears to be mobilized first in the middle layers, as determined from the location of tears in the geotextile. An equation to calculate the tensile force in the reinforcement, Tmax, in a reinforced bridge abutment is ...