Applications reinforced soil structures

The seismic behaviour of reinforced soil structures has been studied by shaking table tests , where a near full-size geotextile reinforced wall is fitted 

Similar to geotextile reinforced walls, these structures have distinct advantages over their conventional counterparts. They are more flexible (hence more tolerant to differential settlement), adaptable to low-cost backfill, easier to construct, require less overall excavation, and are more economical to erect.  

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Tatsuoka, E, Uchimura,T.,Tateyama, M. and Koseki, J (1996), Geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls as important permanent structures. Geosynthetics applications, design and construction. Proceedings of the First European Geosynthetics Conference, Maastricht, pp. 3-24. 

Of particular importance in these application are the long lifetimes. Civil engineering structures can be designed for up to 120 years service. Safety is critical where the geotextile is used for reinforcement, such as in steep embankments, retaining walls, bridge abutments, and embankments built over soft soil or old mineworkings. 

Hydraulic structures using scrap tires for bank protection include tire mats, revetment (retaining walls, seawalls, revet mattresses), and tire-concrete imits. In search for economical bank-protection structures, the use of scarp tires as a less-expensive alternative is desirable, considering the costs of the metal and concrete used in reinforced-concrete construction, especially in developing countries. Whole scrap tires can be utilized for surface erosion control, beach and slope protection, and stream bank stabilization. In these applications, scrap tires are banded together and partially or completely buried on imstable slopes. Tires can be used with other stabilization materials to reinforce an unstable highway shoulder or protect a channel slope remained stable and can provide economical and immediate solutions. In bank protection structures, tires are laced together by steel cables and used as a protective layer or mat over stream banks or soil embankments. The top, toe, upstream and downstream ends of the mattress are tied into the banks. Used tires with metal cords were shown to bean excellent construction material that can partially replace reinforced concrete for protection of river banks and canal walls [19]. 

A futuristic application for fibre-reinforced glass matrix composites is related to the use of lunar materials for future space constmction activities. Glass/glass composites in which both the fibre and the matrix are made of fused lunar soil have been proposed [28]. These materials, obtained so far on a laboratory scale, show great promise for providing large quantities of basic structural materials for cost-effective outer-space constmction. 

Abstract This chapter deals with the structure, properties and applications of natural fibres. Extraction methods of Natural Fibres from different sources have been discussed in detail. Natural fibres have the special advantage of high specific strength and sustainability, which make them ideal candidates for reinforcement in various polymeric matrices. Natural fibres find application in various fields like construction, automobile industry and also in soil conservation. It is the main source of cellulose, an eminent representative of nanomaterial. Extractions of cellulose from plant-based fibres are discussed in detail. Various mediods used for characterization of cellulose nanofibres and advantages of these nanofibres have also been dealt with. 

Alwahab, R. M. and Al-ouma, H. H. (1995), Fiber reinforced cohesive soils for application in compacted earth structures. In Proceedings of Geosynthetics 95, Nashville, Tennessee, Vol. 2, pp. 433 446. 

Cathodic protection is used widely for the protection of submerged steel in waterfront structures. It also can provide considerable benefit in the intertidal zone and can even reduce the usually high corrosion rate experienced at the boundary between the intertidal zone and the splash and spray zone. Cathodic protection also is used to prevent corrosion of the soil side of steel in marine structures such as sheet steel bulkheads. Cathodic protection also is effective in the control of the corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete in all exposure zones in waterfiont structures. Particularly for impressed current systems, it is important to select materials for the cathodic protection system components such as rectifiers and junction boxes with consideration of the environment to which they will be exposed. When considering cathodic protection, periodic inspection and maintenance is required for proper system operation. The costs for inspection and maintenance must be considered in the overall cost of cathodic protection. While there are no specific standards for cathodic protection of piers and docks, information in NACE RP0176 (Corrosion Control of Fixed Offshore Platforms Associated with Petroleum Production) and NACE RP-0187 (Design Considerations for Corrosion Control of Reinforcing Steel in Concrete) contain information that is applicable to marine piers and docks. 

Geotextiles are those fabrics used in geotechnical applications, such as road and railway embankments, earth dikes, and coastal protection structures, designed to perform one or more basic functions such as filtration, drainage, separation of soil layers, reinforcement, or stabilisation. Therefore, almost every geotextile application is multifunctional. 

Reinforced concrete electrochemical protection methods used against corrosion caused by contamination with chlorides or the carbonization process may be used for new structures, as well as those already used in soil, water, and atmospheric environments. The first practical CP application was realized in the U.S. A. for the protection of a bridge contaminated with deicing salts (Stratfull, 1974). 

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