Dynamic Response of Reinforced Soil Systems. Volume 1. Report

• Main Authors: Bachus, R C, Fragaszy, R J, Jaber, M, Olen, K L, Yuan, Z
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: BLAST; BLAST LOADING; BLAST LOADS; CENTRIFUGES; DYNAMIC RESPONSE; DYNAMICS; FIBER REINFORCEMENT; FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS; MESH; MODEL TESTS; NYLON; PREDICTIONS; REDUCTION; RESPONSE; ROOFS; SCALE MODELS; SOIL COMPACTION; Soil Mechanics; SOIL REINFORCEMENT; SOILS; STEEL; STIFFNESS; TEST AND EVALUATION

This report describes the results of a comprehensive laboratory, numerical and physical modeling investigation of the response of reinforced soil structures to blast loading. Dynamic laboratory pullout testing of geogrid and metal strip reinforcement embedded in cohesionless soil shows negligible rate effects with rise times to peak pullout load ranging from several minutes to less than 50 ms. Triaxial tests on fiber-reinforced soil show significant increases in peak strength, axial strain at peak strength and volume reduction with increasing fiber content. A numerical model was developed using the DYNA3D finite-element code. A numerical parametric study shows the importance of reinforcement stiffness, soil compaction and roof support on the response of a reinforced soil wall to blast loading. Centrifuge model tests were conducted on1:30 scale models of reinforced soil walls. Centrifuge results well to numerical predictions and full scale tests. Geogrid reinforced walls (modeled with nylon mesh) performed better than steel strip reinforced walls. This technical report is divided into two volumes. Volume I contains the main body of the report and Volume II con the Appendices. Blast resistant structures, Blast loading, Reinforced soil, Geosynthetics, Centrifuge modeling, Finite element analysis, Pullout test. See also Volume 2, AD-A270 433.