Large-Scale Shaking Table Tests on Modular-Block Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental study of the earthquake performance of modular-block reinforced soil retaining walls which were backfilled with sand using large-scale benchmark shaking table tests. The reinforcements used were polymeric geogrids, which were frictionally connected to the facing blocks having a front lip. In addition to observing the seismic performance, the purpose of testing was to generate quality data for future validation of numerical procedures. Three large-scale high modular-block geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls were subjected to significant shaking using the Kobe earthquake motions. Each wall was excited with a one-dimensional horizontal maximum acceleration of followed by . Vertical acceleration was superimposed on the horizontal one in the third wall. The walls were instrumented intensively using over 100 transducers to measure lateral and vertical earth pressures, wall facing displacement, crest settlement, reinforcement strains, and accelerations within the soil and the facing blocks. The material properties, instrumentations, and construction procedures are described. The test results indicated that the walls deformed very little with negligible horizontal acceleration amplification when subjected to the first shaking load. Deformation and horizontal acceleration amplification were reasonably small under the second shaking load. Part of the lateral deflection, earth pressure and tensile force in the reinforcement were recovered when shaking ceased. Amplification ratio of 1.35 indicated that the particular wall system performed better than conventional walls that had been tested for earthquake loading.
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Acknowledgments
The study on performance of reinforced soil structures under strong earthquake loadings was supported as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award to Hoe Ling with Dr. Clifford Astill, followed by Dr. Juan Pestana, as Program Director. The supplementary support was provided by the NSF International Program with Dr. Larry Weber as the Program Director. The main funding for conducting experimental works was provided by Allan Block Corporation and Huesker. Bob Gravier and Tim Bott of Allan Block, Steve Lothspeich and Tom Collins of Huesker were instrumental in establishing this experimental project. This study was implemented with the collaborative research agreement between Columbia University and the National Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering (NRIAE) in using the shaking table facilities. Dr. Mutsuo Takeuchi, the manager of the Structural Division, together with the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, provided invaluable support to this study. Mr. Yoshikazu Okabe supervised the wall construction.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 4 • April 2005
Pages: 465 - 476
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 15, 2003
Accepted: Jul 26, 2004
Published online: Apr 1, 2005
Published in print: Apr 2005
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