Assessment of Horizontal Seismic Coefficient for Three Different Types of Reinforced Soil Structure Using Physical and Analytical Modeling
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19, Issue 7
Abstract
Pseudo-static analysis is one of the most common and simplest approaches used to assess the seismic stability of reinforced-soil retaining walls. Despite the importance of the equivalent seismic coefficient as the key parameter of the pseudo-static approach, no specified criterion has yet been provided for the selection of this coefficient. Therefore, in this study, an attempt was made to assess the horizontal seismic coefficient (kh) in three different types of reinforced soil structure based on the physical and analytical modeling. For this purpose, first, the values of yielding acceleration (ay), the axial force distribution along the reinforcements at the failure stage and the geometry of slip surfaces were determined in different conditions by the shaking table test. Then, by using the limit equilibrium horizontal slice method (HSM) and based on the results obtained from shaking table tests, the physical models were simulated to estimate the equivalent seismic coefficients needed to establish slip surfaces similar to those observed in the shaking table tests. Finally, according to the results obtained, the upper bound of the horizontal seismic coefficient for the steel-strip reinforced-soil wall (SSW), soil-nailed wall (SNW), and mechanically stabilized earth/soil nail hybrid retaining wall (HRW) were introduced as a function of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and was compared with existing design codes.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the encouragement and guidance of Mrs. Z. Jenab Isfahani throughout this research effort.
References
AASHTO. 2002. Standard specifications for highway bridges, 17th ed. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
Anastasopoulos, I., T. Georgarakos, V. Georgiannou, V. Drosos, and R. Kourkoulis. 2010. “Seismic performance of bar-mat reinforced-soil retaining wall: shaking table testing versus numerical analysis with modified kinematic hardening constitutive model.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 30 (10): 1089–1105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2010.04.020.
ASTM. 2006. Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (unified soil classification system). ASTM D2487. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Bathurst, R. J., and K. Hatami. 1998. “Seismic response analysis of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall.” Geosynth. Int. 5 (1–2): 127–166. https://doi.org/10.1680/gein.5.0117.
Berg, R. R., B. R. Christopher, and N. C. Samtani. 2009. Design and construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls and reinforced soil slopes—Vol. I. Rep. No. FHWA-NHI-10-024. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Institute.
Bhattacharya, S., D. Lombardi, L. Dihoru, M. S. Dietz, A. J. Crewe, and C. A. Taylor. 2011. “Chapter 8: Model Container Design for Soil-Structure Interaction Studies.” In Role of Seismic Testing Facilities in Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering, edited by M. N. Fardis, and Z. T. Rakicevic, 135–158. New York: Springer.
Byrne, R. 1991. Contribution to summary of design methods comparison for nailed retaining walls. FHWA Demonstration Project 82. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration, US Dept. of Transportation.
Choukeir, M. 1995. “Finite element analysis of reinforced earth and soil nailed structures under seismic loading.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic Univ.
Duncan, J. M., S. G. Wright, and T. L. Brandon. 2014. Soil strength and slope stability. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Fakher, A., H. Nouri, and M. Shahgholi, 2002. “Limit equilibrium in reinforced soil walls subjected to seismic loads.” In Vol. 3 of Proc., 3rd Iranian Int. Conf. on Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Mechanics, 281–286. Tehran, Iran: Niroo Research Center.
Han, X., T. Mera, T. Kiyota, and T. Katagiri. 2014. “Shaking table model tests on reinforced soil retaining walls by using newly-developed geocell reinforcement and geogrid reinforcements.” Bull. ERS 47: 37–45.
Hatami, K., and R. J. Bathurst. 2000. “Effect of structural design on fundamental frequency of reinforced-soil retaining walls.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 19 (3): 137–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0267-7261(00)00010-5.
Hong, Y. S., R. H. Chen, C. S. Wu, and J. R. Chen. 2005. “Shaking table tests and stability analysis of steep nailed slopes.” Can. Geotech. J. 42 (5): 1264–1279. https://doi.org/10.1139/t05-055.
Huang, Y. H. 1983. Stability analysis of earth slopes. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Hynes-Griffin, M. E., and A. G. Franklin. 1984. Rationalizing the seismic coefficient method. Miscellaneous Paper GL-84-13. Vicksburg, MS: US Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station.
Iai, S. 1989. “Similitude for shaking table tests on soil-structure-fluid models in 1g gravitational field.” Soils Found. 29 (1): 105–118. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf1972.29.105.
Komak Panah, A., M. Yazdi, and A. Ghalandarzadeh. 2015. “Shaking table tests on soil retaining walls reinforced by polymeric strips.” Geotext Geomembr. 43 (2): 148–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2015.01.001.
Kramer, S. L. 1996. Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Krishna, A. M., and G. M. Latha. 2012. “Modeling the dynamic response of wrap-faced reinforced soil retaining walls.” Int. J. Geomech. 12 (4): 439–450. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000128.
Lazarte C. A., H. Robinson, J. E. Gómez, A. Baxter, A. Cadden, and R. Berg. 2015. Soil nail walls—Reference manual. Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 7, Rep. No. FHWA-NHI-14-007. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Institute.
Leshchinsky, D., and R. H. Boedeker. 1989. “Geosynthetic reinforced soil structures.” J. Geotech. Eng. 115 (10): 1459–1478. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1989)115:10(1459).
Leshchinsky, D., H. I. Ling, J. P. Wang, A. Rosen, and Y. Mohri. 2009. “Equivalent seismic coefficient in geocell retention systems.” Geotext Geomembr. 27 (1): 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2008.03.001.
Marcuson, W. F., and A. G. Franklin. 1983. “Seismic design, analysis, and remedial measures to improve the stability of existing earth dams—Corps of Engineers approach.” In Seismic design of embankments and caverns, edited by T. R. Howard, 65–78. New York: ASCE.
Mehdipour, I., M. Ghazavi, and R. Ziaie Moayed. 2017. “Stability analysis of geocell-reinforced slopes using the limit equilibrium Horizontal Slice Method.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (9): 06017007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000935.
Morrison K. F., F. E. Harrison, J. G. Collin, A. Dodds, and B. Arndt. 2006. Shored mechanically stabilized earth (SMSE) wall systems design guidelines. Rep. No. FHWA-CFL/TD-06-001. Lakewood, CO: Federal Highway Administration and Central Federal Lands Highway Division.
Nouri, H., A. Fakher, and C. J. F. P. Jones. 2006. “Development of Horizontal Slice Method for seismic stability analysis of reinforced slopes and walls.” Geotext. Geomembr. 24 (3): 175–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2005.11.004.
Nouri, H., A. Fakher, and C. J. F. P. Jones. 2008. “Evaluating the effects of the magnitude and amplification of pseudo-static acceleration on reinforced soil slopes and walls using the limit equilibrium Horizontal Slices Method.” Geotext. Geomembr. 26 (3): 263–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2007.09.002.
Seed, H. B., and G. R. Martin. 1966. “The seismic coefficient in earth dam design.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 92 (3): 59–83.
Segrestin, P., and M. J. Bastick. 1988. “Seismic design of reinforced earth retaining walls: The contribution of finite element analysis.” In Proc., Int. Geotechncial. Symp. on Theory and Practice of Earth Reinforcement, 577–582. Kyushu, Japan: CRC Press.
Shahgholi, M., A. Fakher, and C. J. F. P. Jones. 2001. “Horizontal slice method of analysis.” Géotechnique 51 (10): 881–885. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.2001.51.10.881.
Stuedlein, A. W., M. J. Bailey, D. D. Lindquist, J. Sankey, and W. J. Neely. 2010. “Design and performance of a 46-m-high MSE wall.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136 (6): 786–796. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000294.
Tatsuoka, F., M. Tateyama, and J. Koseki. 1995. “Behavior of geogrid-reinforced soil retaining walls during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.” In Vol. 95 of Proc., 1st Int. Symp. on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering, edited by K. Ishihara, 55–62. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A. A. Balkema.
Vucetic, M., M. R. Tufenkjian, and M. Doroudian. 1993. “Dynamic centrifuge testing of soil-nailed excavations.” Geotech. Test. J. 16 (2): 172–187. https://doi.org/10.1520/GTJ10034J.
Wang, L. P., G. Zhang, and J. M. Zhang. 2010. “Nail reinforcement mechanism of cohesive soil slopes under earthquake conditions.” Soils Found. 50 (4): 459–469. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.50.459.
Watanabe, K., Y. Munaf, J. Koseki, M. Tateyama, and K. Kojima. 2003. “Behavior of several types of model retaining walls subjected to irregular excitation.” Soils Found. 43 (5): 13–27. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.43.5_13.
Yazdandoust, M. 2017a. “Experimental study on seismic response of soil-nailed walls with permanent facing.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 98 (Jul): 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2017.04.009.
Yazdandoust, M. 2017b. “Investigation on the seismic performance of steel-strip reinforced-soil retaining walls using shaking table test.” Soil Dyn. Earthquake Eng. 97 (Jun): 216–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2017.03.011.
Yazdandoust, M. 2018a. “Laboratory evaluation of dynamic behavior of steel-strip mechanically stabilized earth walls.” Soils Found. 58 (2): 264–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2018.02.016.
Yazdandoust, M. 2018b. “Seismic performance of soil-nailed walls using a 1g shaking table.” Can. Geotech. J. 55 (1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0358.
Yazdandoust, M. 2019. “Shaking table modeling of MSE/soil nail hybrid retaining wall.” Soils Found. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2018.05.013.
Zornberg, J. G., N. Sitar, and J. K. Mitchel. 1998. “Performance of geosynthetic reinforced slopes at failure.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 124 (8): 670–683. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(1998)124:8(670).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19 • Issue 7 • July 2019
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 8, 2018
Accepted: Aug 6, 2018
Published online: May 1, 2019
Published in print: Jul 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Oct 1, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.