Study of pullout behaviour of soil nails in completely

Title decomposed granite fill

Author(s) Pradhan, Bandana

Citation

Issue Date 2004

URL http://hdl.handle.net/10722/31203

Rights unrestricted
 CONTENTS

Page
Declaration i
Acknowledgement ii
Table of Contents iii
List of Tables vi
List of Figures vii
List of Plates x

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 General 1
1.2 Objectives 4
1.3 Thesis Arrangement 4

Chapter 2: LETERATURE RIVIEW

2.1. Background and Introduction 6
2.2. Fill Slopes in Hong Kong 6
2.2.1. Current Practice of Upgrading Fill Slopes 7
2.2.2. Failure of Loose Fill Slopes 8
2.2.3. Possible Failure Mechanism 8
2.2.4. Properties and Behaviour of Loose Fill Material 9
2.3. Soil Nailing Technique 11
2.3.1. Application 12
2.3.2. Advantages and Limitations 12
2.3.3. Behaviour and Mechanism 13
2.3.4. Failure Modes 14
2.3.5. Design Approach 15
2.3.6. Corrosion Protection of Reinforcement 15
2.3.7. Soil Nailing in Hong Kong 16
2.3.8. Soil Nailing in Loose Fill Slopes 19
2.3.8.1. Concern about Soil Nails in Loose Fill 20
2.3.8.2. Soil Nail Design in Loose Fill 21

iii
 2.4. Pullout Behaviour of Soil Nails 23
2.4.1. Mobilization of Nail Force 24
2.4.2. Pullout Resistance 25
2.4.3. Factors Influencing the Pullout Behaviour of Soil Nails 27
2.4.3.1 Normal Stress Acting on Soil Nails 27
2.4.3.2 Soil Nail Interface Coefficient 30
2.4.3.3 Soil Nail Surface Area 33

Chapter 3: TEST, MATERIAL AND METHOD

3.1 Rationale 44
3.2 Laboratory Set-up 46
3.2.1 Test-Box 46
3.2.2 Loading Frame 47
3.2.3 Pullout Device 47
3.2.4 Arrangement for Drilling and Grouting 48
3.2.5 Arrangement for Saturation of Soil Sample 48
3.3 Instrumentation 49
3.4 Soil Properties 49
3.4.1 Origin of Fill Soil Sample 49
3.4.2 Physical Properties 50
3.4.3 Soil Strength and Stiffness Properties 52
3.5 Nail Properties 54
3.6 Preparation of Soil Sample 56
3.7 Saturation of Soil Sample 57
3.8 Installation of Nails 60
3.9 Applying Vertical Pressure 61
3.10 Pullout Test 63
3.11 Test Procedure 64
3.12 In-situ Density of Prepared Soil Sample 64
3.13 Dimension of the Soil Nail 65
3.14 Grout Strength in Soil Nail 66
3.14.1 Compressive Strength 66
3.14.2 Tensile Strength 66

iv
Chapter 4: TEST RESULT AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Introduction 90
4.2. Behaviour of Soil Nails in Loose Fill at Natural Moisture Content 91
4.2.1. Load Displacement Curve 91
4.2.2. Development of Normal Stress 92
4.2.3. Axial Tensile Force Distribution along the Nail 94
4.2.4. Pullout Resistance 96
4.2.5. Multi-stage Vs Single-stage Test 99
4.2.6. Laboratory Vs Field Pullout Test 101
4.2.7. Effect of Nail Installation Method on Pullout Resistance 102
4.3. Comparison of Results from Pullout Test in Loose Fill at Natural
Moisture Content and at Nearly Saturated Condition 102
4.4. Comparison of Results from Pullout Test in Loose and Dense Fill 105
4.5. Concluding Remarks 107

Chapter 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary 125
5.2 Conclusions 128
5.3 Recommendations 130

APPENDICES
Appendix-1: Earth Pressure Reading Change during Pullout 132
Appendis-2: Axial Force Variation during Pullout 133

REFERENCES 135

v
LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 Case histories of static liquefaction failures in Hong Kong 9

Table 2.2 Standard soil nail layout adopted in Hong Kong 17

Table 2.3 Frequency of pullout test adopted in Hong Kong 17

Table 2.4 The pullout capacity according to the different authors 26

Table 2.5 The interface angle of friction for different construction pppppp
materials determined by shear box tests 32

Table 3.1 List of transducers used in the pullout test 49

Table 3.2 Coefficient of permeability under different relative compaction 51

Table 3.3 Physical properties of the CDG soil used 51

Table 3.4 Soil strength parameters from direct shear test 53

Table 3.5 Soil parameters from triaxial test 53

Table 3.6 7-days cube test result for grout mix of 0.45 water cement ratio 55

Table 3.7 28-days cube test result for grout mix of 0.45 water cement ratio 55

Table 3.8 Properties of soil before supplying water 58

Table 3.9 Saturation stages 59

Table 3.10 Applied pressure and corresponding settlement of top plate in pppppp
loose fill 62

Table 3.11 Applied pressure and corresponding settlement of nails pppppp

in loose fill 62

Table 3.12 Applied pressure and corresponding settlement of top plate pppppp
in dense fill 63

Table 4.1 Results from pullout test in loose fill at natural moisture content pppppp
by multi-stage method 98

Table 4.2 Results from pullout test in loose fill at natural moisture content pppppp
by single-stage method 101

Table 4.3 Soil-nail (grout) interface parameters in loose fill at natural pppppp
moisture content 101

Table 4.4 Results from pullout test in loose fill at nearly saturated pppppp
condition 103

Table 4.5 Soil-soil and soil-nail interface parameters 104

Table 4.6 Results from pullout test in dense fill by single-stage method 105

Table 5.1 Summary of test results and interpretation 127

vi
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 Pre-1977 Fill slopes registered in the Hong Kong iiiiiiiiiiiiii
Government’s slope catalogue 34

Figure 2.2 Relative compaction distribution for selected Pre-1977 fill

slopes lllllllll34
Figure 2.3 Void ratio distribution for selected Pre-1977 fill slopes 35

Figure 2.4 Collapsible behaviour of CDG subjected to increasing pore 77777777

water pressure under constant deviator stress 35

Figure 2.5 Typical detail of soil nail 36

Figure 2.6 Soil nailed system 36

Figure 2.7 Forces acting on potential sliding zone for a nailed slope 37

Figure 2.8 Temporary and permanent nails of German standard 38

Figure 2.9 Failure modes 39

Figure 2.10 Pullout test loading sequence 40

Figure 2.11 Downslope capacity Vs demand for an adequately nailed kkkkkkkk

slope 41

Figure 2.12 Layout of surface grillage 41

Figure 2.13 Typical distribution of tensile forces in a nail 42

Figure 2.14 Chart to estimate the unit skin friction qs for sand and clay 43

Figure 3.1 Location of holes on the front wall of the test box 68

Figure 3.2 Location of jacks and LVDTs at the top of the steel plate pppppppp
for the vertical pressure application 68

Figure 3.3 Grading curve for CDG soil 69

Figure 3.4 Dry density Vs moisture content from Proctor Compaction uuuuuuuu
Test 69

Figure 3.5 Cone penetration Vs moisture content from liquid limit test 70

Figure 3.6 Coefficient of permeability Vs void ratio of the CDG soil 70

Figure 3.7 Shear stress Vs normal stress from direct shear test (soil at 77777777
natural moisture content) 71

Figure 3.8 Shear stress Vs normal stress from direct shear test (nearly pppppppp
saturated soil) 71

Figure 3.9 Stress-strain curve for CDG soil from triaxial test 72

Figure 3.10 p-q plot for CDG soil from triaxial test 73

Figure 3.11 Location of Pore Pressure Transducers 74

vii
Figure 3.12 Axial stress-strain curve for grout mix (0.45 W/C ratio) 75

Figure 3.13 Lateral stress-strain curve for grout mix (0.45 W/C ratio) 75

Figure 3.14 Detail of soil nail installation in laboratory 76

Figure 3.15 Application of vertical load and corresponding settlement in pppppppp

different steps of loading in loose fill 77

Figure 3.16 Locations of in-situ density test 79

Figure 3.17 Variation of relative compaction with depth in loose soil pppppppp
sample at nature moisture content 79

Figure 3.18 Variation of relative compaction with depth in loose soil pppppppp
sample at nearly saturated condition 80

Figure 3.19 Variation of relative compaction with depth in dense soil pppppppp
sample 80

Figure 3.20 Acoustic energy, and Strain Vs Tensile load from tension pppppppp
test on soil nail specimen 81

Figure 4.1 Pullout load-displacement curves from tests in loose fill at pppppppp
natural moisture content (Multi-stage loading, Set-1) 109

Figure 4.2 Pullout load-displacement curves from tests in loose fill at pppppppp
natural moisture content (Multi-stage loading, Set-2) 109

Figure 4.3 Pullout load-displacement curves from tests in loose fill at pppppppp
natural moisture content (First pull and others) 110

Figure 4.4 Location of Earth Pressure Transducers (EPT) above the pppppppp
nails 110

Figure 4.5 Earth pressure reading above the Nail-1 111

Figure 4.6 Earth pressure reading above the Nail-2 111

Figure 4.7 Earth pressure reading during pullout of the nails installed pppppppp
with different methods 112

Figure 4.8 Axial force distribution along the nail at peak pullout force pppppppp
(First pull) 113

Figure 4.9 Axial force distribution along the nail at peak pullout force
(Second pull) 113
Figure 4.10 Axial force distribution along the nail at peak pullout force pppppppp
(Third pull) 114

Figure 4.11 Axial force distribution along the nail at different states pppppppp
(First pull) 114

Figure 4.12 Stress Vs strain at the nail head during pullout 115

viii
Figure 4.13 Pullout resistance Vs theoretical vertical pressure at nail
level from multi-stage loading in loose fill at natural pppppppp
moisture content 116
Figure 4.14 Pullout resistance Vs theoretical vertical pressure at nail
level from single-stage loading in loose fill at natural pppppppp
moisture content 116
Figure 4.15 Pullout load-displacement curves from single-stage loading pppppppp
in loose fill at natural moisture content 117

Figure 4.16 Pullout resistance Vs theoretical vertical pressure at the nail pppppppp
level from field and laboratory test 117

Figure 4.17 Pullout load-displacement curves from the nails installed pppppppp
before and after the application of desired vertical pressure 118

Figure 4.18 Pullout load-displacement curves from the multi-stage pppppppp

loading in nearly saturated loose fill 119

Figure 4.19 Pullout resistance Vs theoretical vertical pressure at the nail pppppppp
level from multi-stage loading in nearly saturated loose fill 119

Figure 4.20 Comparison of test results from multi-stage loading in loose

fill at natural moisture content and at nearly saturated pppppppp
condition 120
Figure 4.21 Pullout load-displacement curves from the multi-stage
loading in dense fill by pulling the nail to the residual value 121
Figure 4.22 Pullout load-displacement curves from the multi-stage pppppppp
loading in dense fill by pulling the nail to the peak value 121

Figure 4.23 Pullout load-displacement curves from single-stage loading pppppppp

in dense fill 112

Figure 4.24 Comparison of pullout load-displacement curves from

loose and dense fill 122
Figure 4.25 Pullout resistance Vs theoretical vertical pressure at nail pppppppp
level in dense fill 123

Figure 4.26 Comparison of pullout resistance in loose and dense fill 123

Figure 4.27 Comparison of pullout resistance in dense fill with or pppppppp

without considering the effect of restrained dilation 124

ix
LIST OF PLATES

Plate 3.1 Laboratory set-up 82

Plate 3.2 Vertical loading arrangement 82

Plate 3.3 Pulling device 83

Plate 3.4 Drilling set-up 83

Plate 3.5 PVC pipe with perspex cap for grouting 84

Plate 3.6 Arrangement for saturation 84

Plate 3.7 Flow-meter to control the rate of flow 85

Plate 3.8 Transparent pipe for checking rise of water level 85

Plate 3.9 Arrangement for pulling nails in submerged soil condition 85

Plate 3.10 Flow cone test of grout mix 86

Plate 3.11 Adjusting height and declination of drilling set up 86

Plate 3.12 Drilling hole for nail installation 87

Plate 3.13 Layout of spacer and PVC pipe on the steel bar 87

Plate 3.14 Placing of steel bar inside the hole 88

Plate 3.15 Grouting 88

Plate 3.16 Grouted nail after removal of PVC pipe 88

Plate 3.17 Exposed soil nails after the removal of soil 88

Plate 3.18 Compressive strength test on core specimen of soil nail 88

Plate 3.19 Tension test on soil nail specimen 89