Abstract
A new methodology for the rotational stability analysis of a gravity retaining wall supporting inclined backfill under earthquake and heavy rainfall conditions has been presented. According to the movement mode of retaining wall and the characteristics of backfill sliding and rainwater infiltration, a sliding model of the infinite soil strip and rainwater infiltration model were established respectively. By calculating the internal energy dissipation rate and external loads power of the wall-soil system mechanism, a formula to calculate seismic yield acceleration coefficient under coupling conditions of earthquakes and rainfall was deduced. The results revealed a large effect size of infiltration depth of rainwater and the backfill inclination on the seismic yield acceleration coefficient. When the rainwater reaches 1/5 the height of the retaining wall and the backfill inclination exceeds 15°, the seismic yield acceleration coefficient will decrease rapidly. Moreover, the results obtained in this paper showed good consistency with those obtained by numerical simulation.
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Abbreviations
- B :
-
Width of the wall
- dA 1 :
-
Area of a rigid water strip when
- θ :
-
θ2 in Fig. 8
- dA 2 :
-
Area of a rigid water strip when
- θ :
-
θ1 in Fig. 8
- H :
-
Height of the wall
- h :
-
Height of the point g in Fig. 2
- i :
-
Hydraulic gradient
- J :
-
Seepage force
- k cr :
-
Yield acceleration coefficient
- k h :
-
Horizontal seismic yield acceleration coefficient
- n :
-
The porosity of soil mass
- O :
-
Toe of the wall
- P dyn :
-
Hydrodynamic pressure on the wall
- P stat :
-
Hydrostatic pressure on the wall
- r u :
-
Pore water pressure ratio
- V p :
-
Velocity of point P in Figs. 5 and 6
- V ps :
-
Relative velocity between Vs and Vp
- V s :
-
Velocities of the rigid adjacent to point P in Figs. 5 and 6
- Ẇ eg :
-
Rate of work done by the soil wedge
- Ẇ D :
-
Rate of work done by water on soil wedge
- Ẇ D1 :
-
The work done by the water pressure on soil wedge when
- θ :
-
θ1 in Fig. 8
- Ẇ D2 :
-
The work done by the water pressure on soil wedge when
- θ :
-
θ2 in Fig. 8
- Ẇ dyn :
-
Rate of work done by hydrostatic pressure on the wall
- Ẇ ec :
-
Rate of work done by horizontal inertial force of the wall
- Ẇ es :
-
Rate of work done by horizontal inertial force of soil wedge
- Ẇ stat :
-
Rate of work done by hydrodynamic pressure
- Ẇ wg :
-
Rate of work done by the wall weight
- w :
-
Backfill moisture content
- Δy 1 :
-
The midpoint depth of a rigid water strip when
- θ :
-
θ1 in Fig. 8
- Δy 2 :
-
The midpoint depth of a rigid water strip when
- θ :
-
θ2 in Fig. 8
- Δu(z):
-
Excess pore water pressure
- ± :
-
The wall front inclination
- β :
-
Inclination angle of rupture
- β cr :
-
β corresponding to kcr
- \(\bar{\gamma}\) :
-
Equivalent unit weight of the soil
- γ c :
-
Unit weight of the retaining wall
- γ d :
-
Unit weight of dry soil
- γ s :
-
Unit weight of soil
- γ stst :
-
Saturated unit weight of soil
- γ w :
-
Unit weight of water
- γ we :
-
The modified unit weights of water
- δ :
-
Wall-soil friction angle
- η :
-
The backfill inclination
- λ :
-
Arctan (h/B)
- θ :
-
Inclination angle of line OP in Fig. 3
- \(\sigma_{V}^{\prime}(z)\) :
-
The initial vertical effective stress
- ϕ :
-
Arctan (H/B)
- φ :
-
Internal friction angle
- ω :
-
Angular velocity of the wall about toe
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Li, X., Liu, J. Seismic Rotational Stability Analysis of Gravity Retaining Wall under Heavy Rainfall. KSCE J Civ Eng 25, 4575–4584 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-021-1623-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-021-1623-3