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Discrete element study of stresses and deformation on gravity retaining wall under static loading

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Abstract

The study of gravity retaining wall supporting cohesionless soil is performed using the discrete element software Particle Flow Code (PFC), with emphasis on three-dimensional analysis at the grain scale, covering the transition from the initial state to the active state. The soil particles are represented by spherical balls and the rolling resistance linear contact model is used to include the shape effect. The rigid balls are connected by linear parallel bond contact model with a specified strength and stiffness to replicate the physical characteristics of retaining wall. The domain size is reduced by using high g criteria and scaling laws to enhance computational efficiency. The earth pressure coefficient obtained from the present study is compared with the existing analytical and experimental solutions. It is concluded that widely used Coulomb and Rankine methods underestimate the active earth pressure. The total earth thrust acting on the gravity wall is 67.3 kN/m acting at 0.301H above the wall base. The initial state shows a decrease in average coordination number from 5.0 to 3.3 at wall top indicating the debonding of grains and simultaneous decrease in density. In addition, the force chain distribution, porosity, lateral displacement, and axial displacement are investigated. A correlation between the earth pressure coefficient and lateral displacement is also established. The discrete analysis provided valuable insights into the particle-level mechanisms underlying the overall behavior of the retaining wall, contributing to a better understanding of its continuum response.

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Abbreviations

CN:

Coordination number

c p :

Parallel bond compressive strength at contact

E c :

Young’s modulus at contact

E cp :

Young’s modulus of parallel bond at contact

e :

Void ratio

F n :

Normal stress at contact

F smax :

Maximum allowable tangential stress at contact

H :

Wall height

k n :

Normal stiffness at contact

k s :

Tangential stiffness at contact

k :

Stiffness ratio

k p :

Parallel bond stiffness ratio

K :

Earth pressure coefficient

K a :

Active earth pressure coefficient

K o :

Earth pressure coefficient at rest

p x :

Lateral earth pressure

N :

Scale factor

N c :

Number of contacts

N p :

Number of particles

n :

Porosity

U n :

Normal displacement at contacts

ρ :

Density of grains

σ cp :

Parallel bond tensile strength

λ:

Radius multiplier factor

μ :

Coefficient of friction

μ r :

Rolling friction coefficient

δ :

Interface friction angle

δ x :

Lateral displacement of wall

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Prerna Singh & Tanusree Chakraborty

  2. Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Puneet Mahajan

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Singh, P., Chakraborty, T. & Mahajan, P. Discrete element study of stresses and deformation on gravity retaining wall under static loading. Granular Matter 26, 48 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-024-01422-6

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