Evaluation of Interface Parameters from Pullout Test in Silty Sand and Weathered Clay

Abstract

The interface parameters which are needed for both finite element and conventional analyses of geotextile-reinforced earth structures such as the local shear stress/shear displacement, the interface interaction coefficient and the in-soil stress/strain of the reinforcement have been successfully interpreted by the newly proposed method considering the softening behavior and non-uniform distribution of shear stress along the extensible reinforcement. Results from this study indicate that the interpretation of pullout tests using conventional methods underestimated both the shear stiffness and the peak shear strength at the pullout interface of extensible reinforcement.