The effect of encapsulation in sand layer and application of end-bend on pullout resistance enhancement of polymeric strap in clay

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran

10.22034/ceej.2025.64913.2403

Abstract

The design and construction of reinforced soil retaining walls have recently attracted considerable interest from engineers and researchers, owing to their favorable geotechnical properties and cost-effectiveness. Using polymeric straps for soil reinforcement provides a straightforward and economical approach to enhance the strength and deformation characteristics of earth retaining walls. This research investigates methods to improve the pullout resistance of polymer straps in clay by employing two techniques: encasing the reinforcement in a thin layer of granular soil (i.e., sandwich method) and creating a U-shaped end-bend. The pullout behavior of straps with both direct and U-shaped ends was analyzed in sand and clay backfills through a series of large-scale pullout tests. Additionally, the study examines how the sandwich method affects the pullout resistance of U-shaped polymeric straps. The results demonstrated that incorporating a U-shaped bend at the strap's end, which increases its length by 30%, enhances pullout strength by over three times compared to straps with direct ends. Moreover, encasing the U-shaped strap in a thin layer of sand can increase pullout strength by up to five times compared to direct-end straps in clay soil.

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Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 19 May 2025

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