Uplift behaviour of plate anchors with geosynthetics

Abstract

The uplift behaviour of plate anchors embedded in cohesive and cohesionless soil media, with and without geosynthetics, has been investigated with the help of small-scale model tests in the laboratory. Many factors, such as the type of geosynthetics, the ratio of the area of the geosynthetic inclusion to the area of the plate anchor, the depth of embedment, the type of soil, the strain rate and the position of the water table, have been found to significantly influence the uplift behaviour of plate anchors. In most of the reinforced earth techniques, cohesionless fill is more or less indispensable. However, it is observed from the present investigation that both cohesionless and cohesive soils can be employed to enhance the uplift capacity of plate anchors and footings, with geosynthetic inclusions.