Ing. civil

Geosynthetics International, 2012, 19, No. 1

Technical note Effect of polypropylene fibers on the uplift behavior of model footings embedded in sand
N. C. Consoli1 , C. A. Ruver2 , V. Girardello3 , L. Festugato4 and A. Thome5 ´
Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 3 andar, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-190, Brazil, Telephone: [phone], Telefax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] 2 Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande, Av. Italia, Km 8, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, 96201-900, Brazil, Telephone: [phone], Telefax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] 3 PhD Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 3 andar, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-190, Brazil, Telephone: [phone], Telefax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] 4 Research Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Osvaldo Aranha, 99, 3 andar, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-190, Brazil, Telephone: [phone], Telefax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] 5 Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I, Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, 99000-000, Brazil, Telephone: [phone], Telefax: [phone], E-mail: [e-mail] Received 19 July 2011, revised 19 October 2011, accepted 19 October 2011 ABSTRACT: The kinematics of failure and the uplift response of plates embedded in sand and in fiber-reinforced sand layers at distinct embedment depths, when subjected to vertical pullout tests, are the main topics discussed in the present technical note. The uplift capacity of plates in sand backfill layers is increased by the insertion of 0.5% fibers in the backfilled material. The enhancement of the uplift capacity increases from about 70% for