Study of Pullout Resistance of Bearing Reinforcement Embedded in Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC) for Designing Reinforced Earth Structure

Abstract

This paper aims to study the pullout resistance mechanism of bearing reinforcement embedded in Lightweight Cellular Concrete (LCC). The bearing reinforcement is composed of a longitudinal member and transverse (bearing) members. The longitudinal member is a steel deformed bar and transverse members are a set of equal streel angle. LCC has been used as backfill material for retaining walls due to its low self-weight and high compressive strength as compared with soils. The pullout tests on the reinforcement were conducted on three types of bearing reinforcement. The longitudinal member without transvers member (with a diameter of 16 mm and length of 1.1m). The bearing reinforcement with a 1.10 m longitudinal member and with number of transverse members, n (n= 1 and 2). The laboratory pullout tests on the bearing reinforcement embedded in different unit weights of LCC ranged from 600-1,650 kN/m3. The total pullout resistance (Pt) is the sum of the pullout friction (obtained between the LCC and the longitudinal member) and bearing resistances. The relationships between ultimate compressive strength (f’c) versus unit weight are represented by an exponential function for all curing periods. The failure mode of bearing reinforcement under pullout test depends on the unit weight and f’c.