Physical Model Tests of Half-Scale Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Bridge Abutments. I: Static Loading
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 11
Abstract
This paper presents experimental results from physical model tests on four half-scale geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutment specimens constructed using well-graded angular backfill sand, modular facing blocks, and uniaxial geogrid reinforcement to investigate the effects of applied surcharge stress, reinforcement vertical spacing, and reinforcement tensile stiffness for working stress, static loading conditions. Facing displacements increased for the upper section of the walls after the application of surcharge stress and were greater for larger reinforcement vertical spacing and reduced reinforcement tensile stiffness. Bridge seat settlements were proportional to the applied surcharge stress, strongly affected by larger reinforcement vertical spacing, and only slightly affected by reduced reinforcement tensile stiffness. Measured vertical and lateral soil stresses generally were lower than calculated values for static loading conditions. The maximum tensile strain in each reinforcement layer occurred near the facing block connection for lower layers and under the bridge seat for higher layers. A companion paper presents experimental results for the same GRS bridge abutment specimens under dynamic loading conditions.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this study provided by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Project 65A0556 with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Pooled Fund Project 1892AEA is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Dr. Charles Sikorsky and Kathryn Griswell of Caltrans for their support and assistance with the project. The first author gratefully acknowledges a GSI Fellowship provided by the Geosynthetic Institute. The authors also thank the staff and undergraduate research assistants at the UCSD Powell Structural Laboratories for their help with the experimental work. The geogrid used in this study was provided by the Tensar International Corporation, Inc.
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 11 • November 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 4, 2018
Accepted: May 29, 2019
Published online: Aug 26, 2019
Published in print: Nov 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jan 26, 2020
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