Abstract
The investigation of the internal stability of reinforced earth retaining walls under dynamic loading is an important issue for the seismic design. This paper presents a thorough study of the seismic behavior of earth retaining walls, using the upper bound theorem of limit analysis in combination with the discretization technique. This combination permits to generate the failure mechanism of reinforced structures point by point. The pseudo-static approach is adopted to model the seismic effect. The proposed extended methodology is validated using the conventional limit analysis results obtained by Michalowski (Comput Geotech 23:1–17, 1998a. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-352X(98)00016-0), showing therefore its effectiveness. A parametric study is then conducted to point out the effects of key parameters on the required reinforcement strength.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ausilio E, Conte E, Dente G (2000) Seismic stability analysis of reinforced slopes. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 19:159–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0267-7261(00)00005-1
Bonaparte R, Schemertmann G, Williams ND (1986) Seismic design of slopes reinforced with geogrids and geotextiles. In: Third international conference on geotextiles, Vienna, pp 273–278
Chen HT, Hung WY, Chang CC, Chen YJ, Lee CJ (2007) Centrifuge modeling test of a geotextile-reinforced wall with a very wet clayey backfill. Geotext Geomembr 25:346–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2007.01.003
Chen WF, Giger MW, Fang HY (1969) On the limit analysis of stability of slopes. Soils Found 9:23–32. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1960.9.4_23
Coello C, Lamont B, van Veldhuizen A (2007) Evolutionary algorithms for solving multi-objective problems. Springer, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36797-2
El-Emam MM, Bathurst RJ (2007) Influence of reinforcement parameters on the seismic response of reduced-scale reinforced soil retaining walls. Geotext Geomembr 25:33–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2006.09.001
FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) (2011) Geotechnical engineering circular 03-LRFD seismic analysis and design of transportation geotechnical features and structural foundations, FHWA-NHI-11-032. Washington, DC
FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) (2009) Geotechnical engineering circular 011-design and construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls and reinforced soil slopes–volume I, FHWA-NHI-10-024. FHWA-NHI-10-024 and FHWA-NHI-10-025
Gavin K, Xue J (2009) Use of a genetic algorithm to perform reliability analysis of unsaturated soil slopes. Géotechnique 59:545–549. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.8.T.004
Goh AT (1999) Genetic algorithm search for critical slip surface in multiple-wedge stability analysis. Can Geotech J 36:382–391. https://doi.org/10.1139/t98-110
Hamrouni A, Dias D, Sbartai B (2017) Probabilistic analysis of piled earth platform under concrete floor slab. Soils Found 57:828–839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2017.08.012
He S, Ouyang C, Luo Y (2012) Seismic stability analysis of soil nail reinforced slope using kinematic approach of limit analysis. Environ Earth Sci 66:319–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1241-3
Holland JH (1975) Adaptation in natural and artificial systems, University ed.
Huang C-C (2013) Vertical acceleration response of horizontally excited reinforced walls. Geosynth Int 20:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.12.00035
Ibrahim E, Soubra A-H, Mollon G, Raphael W, Dias D, Reda A (2015) Three-dimensional face stability analysis of pressurized tunnels driven in a multilayered purely frictional medium. Tunn Undergr Sp Technol 49:18–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2015.04.001
Kazimierowicz-Frankowska K (2005) A case study of a geosynthetic reinforced wall with wrap-around facing. Geotext Geomembr 23:107–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2004.05.001
Koerner RM, Koerner GR (2013) A data base, statistics and recommendations regarding 171 failed geosynthetic reinforced mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. Geotext Geomembr 40:20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2013.06.001
Koerner RM, Soong TY (2001) Geosynthetic reinforced segmental retaining walls. Geotext Geomembr 19:359–386. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-1144(01)00012-7
Koseki J, Bathurst RJ, Guler E, Kuwano J, Maugeri M (2006) Seismic stability of reinforced soil walls. In: 8th International Conference on Geosynthetics, pp 51–77
Krabbenhoft K, Lyamin AV, Hjiaj M, Sloan SW (2005) A new discontinuous upper bound limit analysis formulation. Int J Numer Methods Eng 63:1069–1088. https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.1314
Krabbenhøft K, Lyamin AV, Sloan SW (2007) Formulation and solution of some plasticity problems as conic programs. Int J Solids Struct 44:1533–1549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2006.06.036
Krabbenhoft K, Lymain AV, Krabbenhoft J (2016) Optum computational engineering. OptumG2: Theory
Lee KZZ, Wu JTH (2004) A synthesis of case histories on GRS bridge-supporting structures with flexible facing. Geotext Geomembr 22:181–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2004.03.002
Leshchinsky D, Han J (2004) Geosynthetic reinforced multitiered walls. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 130:1225–1235. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:12(1225)
Ling HI, Liu H, Kaliakin VN, Leshchinsky D (2004) Analyzing dynamic behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls. J Eng Mech 130:911–920. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2004)130:8(911)
Ling HI, Liu H, Mohri Y (2005) Parametric studies on the behavior of reinforced soil retaining walls under earthquake loading. J Eng Mech 131:1056–1065. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2005)131:10(1056)
Ling HI, Mohri Y, Leshchinsky D, Burke C, Matsushima K, Liu H (2005) Large-scale shaking table tests on modular-block reinforced soil retaining walls. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 131:465–476. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2005)131:4(465)
Lyamin AV, Sloan SW, Krabbenhøft K, Hjiaj M (2005) Lower bound limit analysis with adaptive remeshing. Int J Numer Methods Eng 63:1961–1974. https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.1352
Michalowski RL (2010) Limit analysis and stability charts for 3D slope failures. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 136:583–593. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000251
Michalowski RL (1998) Soil reinforcement for seismic design of geotechnical structures. Comput Geotech 23:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-352X(98)00016-0
Michalowski RL (1998) Limit analysis in stability calculations of reinforced soil structures. Geotext Geomembr 16:311–331
Michalowski RL (1997) Stability of uniformly reinforced slopes. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 123:546–556. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1999)125:1(81)
Mollon G, Dias D, Soubra A-H (2011) Rotational failure mechanisms for the face stability analysis of tunnels driven by a pressurized shield. Int J Numer Anal Methods Geomech 35:1363–1388
NCHRP (National Cooperative Highway Research Program) (2008) Cooperative highway program, NCHRP Project 12-70, Seismic analysis and design of retaining walls, buried structures, slopes and embakements, recommended specifications, commentaries and examples problems, NCHRP Report 611, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/13746
Nouri H, Fakher A, Jones CJFP (2006) Development of horizontal slice method for seismic stability analysis of reinforced slopes and walls. Geotext Geomembr 24:175–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2005.11.004
Pamuk A, Ling HI, Leshchinsky D (2004) Behavior of reinforced wall system during the 1999 Kocaeli (Izmit), Turkey, Earthquake B1. In: 5th International conference on case histories in geotechnical engineering, London
Pan Q, Dias D (2017) Safety factor assessment of a tunnel face reinforced by horizontal dowels. Eng Struct 142:56–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.03.056
Park T, Tan SA (2005) Enhanced performance of reinforced soil walls by the inclusion of short fiber. Geotext Geomembr 23:348–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2004.12.002
Patra CR, Basudhar PK (2005) Optimum design of nailed soil slopes. Geotech Geol Eng 23:273–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-004-2146-7
Pereira G, De La Vernee P, Schmitt P (2018) En1998-5 pseudo-static analysis of earth retaining structures—current limitations and alternatives. In: 16th European conference on earthquake thessaloniki engineering, pp 1–14
Qin C-B, Chian SC (2017) Kinematic analysis of seismic slope stability with a discretisation technique and pseudo-dynamic approach: a new perspective. Géotechnique 68:492–503. https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeot.16.P.200
Qin C, Chian SC (2018) Bearing capacity analysis of a saturated non-uniform soil slope with discretization-based kinematic analysis. Comput Geotech 96:246–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2017.11.003
Sabermahani M, Ghalandarzadeh A, Fakher A (2009) Experimental study on seismic deformation modes of reinforced-soil walls. Geotext Geomembr 27:121–136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2008.09.009
Sun Z, Li J, Pan Q, Dias D, Li S, Hou C (2018) Discrete kinematic mechanism for nonhomogeneous slopes and its application. Int J Geomech 18:04018171. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)gm.1943-5622.0001303
Terzaghi K (1950) Mechanism of landslides. In: Application of geology to engineering practice. Geological Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1130/Berkey.1950.83
Tun YW, Pedroso DM, Scheuermann A, Williams DJ (2016) Probabilistic reliability analysis of multiple slopes with genetic algorithms. Comput Geotech 77:68–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2016.04.006
Utili S (2013) Investigation by limit analysis on the stability of slopes with cracks. Géotechnique 63:140–154. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.11.P.068
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alhajj Chehade, H., Dias, D., Sadek, M. et al. Pseudo-static analysis of reinforced earth retaining walls. Acta Geotech. 16, 2275–2289 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-021-01148-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-021-01148-2