Deformation of Geogrid-Reinforced Segmental Retaining Wall due to Insufficient Compaction of Loess Backfill: Case Study in Shaanxi Province, China
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Volume 33, Issue 6
Abstract
The distress history of a geogrid-reinforced segmental retaining wall (GR-SRW) that was constructed as a highway shoulder, June 2014, using loess backfill in Shaanxi Province, China, is presented. A narrow, arc-shaped pavement crack propagating toward the wall and a vertical open gap between the cover plate and coping were found in September 2014. Improper diagnosis and treatment caused the crack and gap to worsen until June 2016. Consultation, field observations, measurement, drilling, laboratory tests, and internal stability analyses were executed immediately to determine the causes of the distress. Consultation and field observation were executed to obtain the GR-SRW development on November 5th, 2018. The insufficient and differential compaction of the loess backfill likely caused the distress initially found. Water infiltration, fine-grained loess backfill use, and improper diagnosis and treatment worsened the GR-SRW distress from June 2014 to November 2018. Preliminary repair suggestions, including a prestressed anchoring wallboard retaining wall, upswept drainpipes, rammed soil-cement or compacted soil-lime columns, and rebuilding the existing pavement layers, were provided. Lessons learned provide a reference for future construction.
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Acknowledgments
The authors greatly appreciate the financial support for this paper provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41272285 and 41790443), a Scientific Research Project of the Transportation Department of Gansu Province (Grant No. 2017-002), the 2018 Research Project of Shaanxi Provincial Communication Construction Group (Grant No. 18-06), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 300102218412). The authors also highly appreciate the assistance with the site observations, drilling exploration, and laboratory tests provided by past postgraduate students Kezhuan Zhou, et al., at Chang’an University and the writing suggestions provided by Dr. Peijie Yin, Dr. Han Bao, and Dr. Jiangbo Xu at Chang’an University. Any suggestions given by the reviewers are also highly acknowledged.
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Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 33 • Issue 6 • December 2019
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 6, 2018
Accepted: Apr 4, 2019
Published online: Sep 18, 2019
Published in print: Dec 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Feb 18, 2020
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