Dynamic assessment of saturated reinforced-soil retaining wall

The dynamic assessment of a saturated reinforced-soil retaining wall (SRS-RW) has drawn considerable interest as several partial or full collapses of retaining walls due to earthquakes occurring during or immediately after heavy rains have been reported. In this study, a centrifuge shaking table test of the dynamic performance of a SRS-RW, in which five shaking waves were sequentially applied in the horizontal direction, was simulated using a dynamic finite element program. In the analysis, a cyclic mobility model was employed to simulate backfilled soil. This model can account for the complicated mechanical behavior of the saturated backfilled soil and described the influences of the stress-induced anisotropy, the density and the structure of the soil in a unified way. The plastic joint elements that transfer only shearing and compressive forces were inserted between the backfilled soil and the reinforcements. By comparing the calculated results with those of the centrifuge shaking table test, the dynamic behavior of the SRS-RW was thoroughly studied and the accuracy of the numerical analysis was proven to be quite satisfactory. Based on these results, numerical tests were also conducted to investigate the dynamic performance of a SRS-RW under realistic ground conditions. Parametric analyses with three different reinforcement patterns were carried out to develop an effective measure for improving the stability and controlling the deformation of SRS-RWs. The main purpose of this study is to establish an effective assessment method for the dynamic behavior of SRS-RWs.