Enhancing Pullout Capacity of Single Piles and Pile Groups Using Geosynthetic Soil-Reinforcement Technique

This study investigates the influence of soil reinforcement on the uplift performance of single piles and pile groups in cohesionless soil with 60% relative density. Various reinforcement configurations were examined, altering reinforcement type, embedded depth, layer width, and number of layers. Steel circular piles with bulged surfaces were used for the single pile and the 2x1 pile group models, with the latter spaced at three times the single pile diameter. Results demonstrate that the incorporation of soil reinforcement layers significantly improved the pullout capacity of the single pile and the 2x1 pile group. In addition, the pullout resistance increases with reinforcement layer width, up to 9D for single piles and (9+3) D for pile groups, where D is the diameter of the single pile. Multiple reinforcement layers further enhanced pullout resistance for both configurations. For pile groups, a double layer of geogrid spaced at 2D yielded superior pile capacity ratios compared to a single layer, though single-layer configurations exhibited higher group efficiency. The study also compares the effects of two reinforcement types, SS30 and TX150, on pullout capacity. Numerical simulations using Abaqus software complement the experimental findings, validating the observed enhanced pullout capacities in reinforced soil conditions. This research contributes valuable insights into optimizing pile foundation design through strategic soil reinforcement techniques, potentially revolutionizing geotechnical engineering practices for enhanced structural stability and cost-effectiveness