Work

Pullout Behaviour of Snakeskin-Inspired Sustainable Geosynthetic Reinforcements in Sand: An Experimental Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the frictional anisotropy of snake scale-inspired surfaces, especially its potential applications in enhancing the bearing capacity of foundations (piles, anchor elements, and suction caissons) and reducing materials consumption and installation energy. This study first investigated the frictional properties and surface morphologies of the ventral scales of Cantor’s rat snakes (Ptyas dhumnades). Based on the findings on the snake scales, a novel snakeskin-inspired geosynthetic reinforcement (SIGR) is developed using 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA). A series of pullout tests under different normal loads (25 kPa, 50 kPa, and 75 kPa) were performed to analyze the pullout behavior of SIGR in sandy soil. Soil deformation and shear band thickness were measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The results revealed that the ventral scales of Ptyas dhumnades have distinct thorn-like micro-protrusions pointing towards the tail, which exhibit frictional anisotropy. A SIGR with a unilateral (one-sided) layout scales (each scale 1 mm in height and 12 mm in length) could increase the peak pullout force relative to a smooth-surface reinforcement by 29% to 67%. Moreover, the peak pullout force in the cranial direction (soil moving against the scales) was found to be 13% to 20% greater than that in the caudal direction (soil moving along the scales). The pullout resistance, cohesion, and friction angle of SIGR all showed significant anisotropy. The soil deformation around the SIGR during pullout was more pronounced than that observed with smooth-surface reinforcement, which suggests that SIGR can mobilize a larger volume of soil to resist external loads. This study demonstrates that SIGR is able to enhance the pullout resistance of reinforcements, thereby improving the stability of reinforced soil structures, reducing materials and energy consumption, and is important for the sustainability of geotechnical engineering.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17146502

Authors: Xin Huang, Fengyuan Yan, Jia He

Institutions: Hohai University, State Grid Corporation of China (China)

Language: English

Topic: Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Stabilization

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896