An experimental investigation for pullout response of a single granular pile anchor in clayey soil

The granular pile anchor foundation is an effective and economical foundation system to counter the pullout forces exerted in case of transmission towers or foundations in expansive soil. The pullout tests were performed to study the behaviour of a single granular pile anchor in the clayey soil bed. Tests were conducted in a steel tank of 1 × 1 × 1 m size with the help of loading frame arrangement. The pullout load required for upward movement equal to 10% diameter was considered as the pullout capacity of the granular pile anchor. In the parametric study, length and diameter of the granular pile anchor were varied to examine their effect. Number of anchor plates was also varied in few tests. The pullout capacity enhanced with an increase in the diameter and length to diameter ratio. The effect of the length to diameter ratio was appreciable up to the value of 10. However, no significant effect was found in the cases of multiple anchor plates. A relationship is proposed to predict normalized pullout capacity.

Effective Length Prediction and Pullout Design of Geosynthetic Strips Based on Pullout Resistance

In this study, pullout tests were conducted on geosynthetic strips which can be applied to a block-type front wall. Based on the test results, the effective length is predicted, and the pullout design results are presented. In other words, the pullout displacement–pullout load relationship of all geosynthetic strips was analyzed using the pullout test results, and their effective lengths were predicted. It was found that the reinforcement width affected the pullout force for the geosynthetic strips at the same tensile strength. The pullout behavior was evidenced within a range of approximately 0.45 L of the total length of the reinforcement (L) and hardly occurred beyond a certain distance from the geosynthetic strips front regardless of the normal stress. Based on these pullout behavioral characteristics, a method is proposed for the prediction of the effective length (LE) and maximum effective length (LE(max)) of a geosynthetic strip. The pullout strength was compared using the total area and effective area methods in accordance with the proposed method. In the case of the total area method, GS50W (width: 50 mm) and GS70W (width: 70 mm) exhibited similar pullout strengths. The pullout strength by the effective area method, however, was found to be affected by the soil-reinforcement interface adhesion. The proposed method used for the prediction of the effective length of a geosynthetic strip was evaluated using a design case. It was confirmed that the method achieved an economical design in instances in which the pullout resistance by the effective length (LE) was applied compared with the existing method.

Biological Safety Evaluation and Surface Modification of Biocompatible Ti–15Zr–4Nb Alloy

We performed biological safety evaluation tests of three Ti–Zr alloys under accelerated extraction condition. We also conducted histopathological analysis of long-term implantation of pure V, Al, Ni, Zr, Nb, and Ta metals as well as Ni–Ti and high-V-containing Ti–15V–3Al–3Sn alloys in rats. The effect of the dental implant (screw) shape on morphometrical parameters was investigated using rabbits. Moreover, we examined the maximum pullout properties of grit-blasted Ti–Zr alloys after their implantation in rabbits. The biological safety evaluation tests of three Ti–Zr alloys (Ti–15Zr–4Nb, Ti–15Zr–4Nb–1Ta, and Ti–15Zr–4Nb–4Ta) showed no adverse (negative) effects of either normal or accelerated extraction. No bone was formed around the pure V and Ni implants. The Al, Zr, Nb, and Ni–Ti implants were surrounded by new bone. The new bone formed around Ti–Ni and high-V-containing Ti alloys tended to be thinner than that formed around Ti–Zr and Ti–6Al–4V alloys. The rate of bone formation on the threaded portion in the Ti–15Zr–4Nb–4Ta dental implant was the same as that on a smooth surface. The maximum pullout loads of the grit- and shot-blasted Ti–Zr alloys increased linearly with implantation period in rabbits. The pullout load of grit-blasted Ti–Zr alloy rods was higher than that of shot-blasted ones. The surface roughness (Ra) and area ratio of residual Al2O3 particles of the Ti–15Zr–4Nb alloy surface grit-blasted with Al2O3 particles were the same as those of the grit-blasted Alloclassic stem surface. It was clarified that the grit-blasted Ti–15Zr–4Nb alloy could be used for artificial hip joint stems.

A Numerical Analysis on the Behavior of Single Battered Pile under Pullout Loading

Batter or raker piles are piles driven at an inclination with a vertical to resist large inclined or lateral forces. Many structures like offshore structures and towers are subjected to overturning moments due to wave pressure, wind load, and ship impacts. Therefore in such structures, a combination of the vertical and batter piles is used to transfer overturning moments in compression and tension forces to the foundation. This paper presents a three-dimensional finite element analysis using PLAXIS 3D software to study the battered pile's behavior under the effect of pullout load. Several variables that influence the pile tension capacity embedded in sandy soil are investigated. The pile models are steel piles embedded in the dense sand at different batter angles (0, 10, 20, and 30) degrees with two embedment ratios, L/d (15 and 20). To clarify the pile shape's influence on a pullout capacity, two shapes are used, a circular pile with a diameter equal to 20 mm and a square pile with a section of 15.7×15.7 mm. These dimensions are chosen to achieve an equal perimeter for both shapes. The numerical results pointed that the pile pullout capacity increases with the increasing of the batter angle and embedment ratio, and the maximum values are marked at a batter angle of 20o. The shape of the bending moment profile is a single curvature, and the peak values are located approximately at the midpoint of the battered pile, while a zero value is located at the pile tip and pile head.

Failure Evolution Law of Reinforced Anchor System under Pullout Load Based on DIC

To obtain the failure evolution law, a pullout test model of the anchor system is proposed based on the digital image correlation (DIC) measurements. By the study of the displacement field, the strain field, and the force transfer law of the anchor system under the pulling load, the failure law of the anchor system is revealed. The results show that (1) the failure mode and the ultimate bearing capacity of the anchor system are related to the thickness of the anchor agent; (2) in the anchor system, the pulling force is gradually transferred from the loading end to the free end along the steel bar, and the greater the thickness of the anchoring agent, the deeper the transfer range; (3) during the loading, the deformation of the anchoring system is mainly concentrated at the interface between the anchoring agent and the concrete and expands to the depth along the steel bar; and (4) the failure evolution rate of the anchorage system is related to the loading stage. The failure evolution of the anchor system can be divided into the elastic phase, the plastic phase, and the deformation rebound phase.

Mechanical Performance of Metallic Bone Screws Evaluated Using Bone Models

To evaluate mechanical performance properties of various types of cortical bone screw, cancellous bone screw, and locking bolt, we conducted torsional breaking and durability tests, screw driving torque tests into bone models, and screw pullout tests (crosshead speed: 10 mm/min) after driving torque tests. The 2° proof and rupture torques of a screw, which were estimated from torque versus rotational angle curves, increased with increasing core diameter of the screw. The durability limit of metallic screws obtained by four-point bending durability tests increased with increasing core diameter. The compressive, tensile, and shear strengths of the bone models used for the mechanical testing of orthopedic devices increased with increasing density of the bone model. The strength and modulus obtained for solid rigid polyurethane foam (SRPF) and cellular rigid polyurethane foam (CRPF) lay on the same straight line. Among the three strengths, the rate of increase in compressive strength with the increase in density was the highest. The maximum torque obtained by screw driving torque tests for up to 8.3 rotations (3000°) into the bone models tended to increase with increasing core diameter. In particular, the maximum torque increased linearly with increasing effective surface area of the screw, as newly defined in this work. The maximum pullout load increased linearly with increasing number of rotations and mechanical strength of the bone model. Screws with low driving torque and high pullout load were considered to have excellent fixation and are a target for development.

Analysis of the Pullout Testing of Straight and Angled Abutments in Narrow Diameter Implants

Despite the success of osseointegrated implants, some biomechanical problems such as loosening or fracture of the abutment, crown fixation screw loosening and prosthetic instability, are common problems reported in the literature. Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the pullout resistance of straight and angled abutments in narrow diameter implants installed by means of friction. The specimen was composed of an implant of 3.3 mm x 11 mm fixed 2 mm above of a resin block. The abutments were fixed by friction receiving 3, 5 and 7 strikes of 0.05 J along the implant axis, and were positioned with 0 ̊, 10 ̊ and 20 ̊ of angulation. The abutments were subjected to pullout load, totalizing 10 repetitions for each test, i.e., the abutment was reinserted up to 10 times in the same implant. The results showed higher values of pullout load for the abutments with 7 strikes, and no statistical difference with 5 strikes suggesting better mechanical stability.

Effect of Geometry on the Fixation Strength of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using BASHTI Technique

The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of tendon and cannulated drill bit diameter on the strength of the bone and site hold tendon inside (BASHTI) fixation technique for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Bovine digital tendons and Sawbones blocks were used to mimic the ACL reconstruction. Mechanical strength of the specimens was measured using a cyclic loading continued by a single cycle pullout load until failure to simulate the real postsurgical loading conditions. Finally, failure modes of specimens and ultimate failure load were recorded. The maximum possible tendon surface strain (i.e., tendon compression [TC]) for tendon diameters of 6, 7, 8, and 9 mm were 0.73, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.65, respectively. Eighty per cent of the specimens with tendon diameter of 6 mm and 20% of specimens with tendon diameter of 7 mm failed on the torn tendon. All samples with larger tendon diameters (i.e., 8 and 9 mm) failed on the fixation slippage. The maximum fixation strength according to the most suitable core bones for 6, 7, 8, and 9 mm tendons were 148 ± 47 N (core 9.5 mm), 258 ± 66 N (core 9.5 mm), 386 ± 128 N (core 8.5 mm), and 348 ± 146 N (core 8.5 mm), respectively. The mode of tendon failure was significantly influenced by the tendon diameter. Also, an increase in TC raised the fixation strength for all tendon diameters; however, tendon over compression decreased the fixation strength for the 8 mm tendon group. Finally, an empirical equation was proposed to predict BASHTI fixation strength.

Pullout Behavior of Bundled Aramid Fiber in Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite

The tensile performance of fiber-reinforced cementitious composite (FRCC) after first matrix cracking is characterized by a tensile stress–crack width relationship called the bridging law. The bridging law can be obtained by an integral calculus of forces carried by individual bridging fibers considering the effect of the fiber inclination angle. The main objective of this study is to investigate experimentally and evaluate the pullout behavior of a single aramid fiber, which is made with a bundling of original yarns of aramid fiber. The bundled aramid fiber has a nonsmooth surface, and it is expected to have good bond performance with the matrix. The test variables in the pullout test are the thickness of the matrix and the inclined angle of the fiber. From the test results, the pullout load–slip curves showed that the load increases lineally until maximum load, after which it decreases gradually. The maximum pullout load and slip at the maximum load increase as the embedded length of the fiber becomes larger. The pullout load–crack width relationship is modeled by a bilinear model, and the bridging law is calculated. The calculated result shows good agreement with the experimental curves obtained by the uniaxial tension test of aramid–FRCC.