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Abstract

Tensar uniaxial geogrids were subjected to load-controlled monotonic and cyclic pullout testing to determine the relative coefficients of interaction. The variables investigated were geogrid series (UX1500SB, UX1400HS, and UX1600HS), soil type (poorly-graded medium fine sand and poorly-graded silty fine sand-sized glass beads) and normal stress (5, 10, and 20 kPa). The geogrid specimens, roughly 0.5 m wide by 1.5 m long, were strain-gauged to allow description of pullout behavior at small displacements. Results suggest that irrespective of geogrid series, soil type, or normal stress the soil-geogrid interaction is approximately equal under monotonic and cyclic loading. Additionally, at the frequency of cycles used, the geogrids did not pull out catastrophically but instead displaced incrementally in a controlled manner when the cyclic load exceeded the peak load sustained by the geogrid under monotonic loading.