Numerical Simulation of Deformation and Failure Behavior of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Bridge Abutments
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper presents a numerical investigation of the deformation and failure behavior of geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) bridge abutments. The backfill soil was characterized using a nonlinear elastoplastic constitutive model that incorporates a hyperbolic stress–strain relationship with strain-softening behavior and the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. The geogrid reinforcement was characterized using a hyperbolic load–strain–time model. The abutments were numerically constructed in stages, including soil compaction effects, and then monotonically loaded in stages to failure. Simulation results indicate that a nonlinear reinforcement model is needed to characterize deformation behavior for high applied stress conditions. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effects of reinforcement, backfill soil, and abutment geometry on abutment deformation and failure behavior. Results indicate that reinforcement vertical spacing, reinforcement stiffness, backfill soil friction angle, and lower GRS wall height are the most significant parameters. The shape of the failure surface is controlled primarily by abutment geometry and can be approximated as bilinear.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this investigation was provided by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Dr. Charles S. Sikorsky of the Caltrans Office of Earthquake Engineering for his support and assistance with the project and Dr. P. Benson Shing, Professor and Chair of the Department of Structural Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, for several helpful discussions on the design of bridge systems.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 144 • Issue 7 • July 2018
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 13, 2017
Accepted: Jan 3, 2018
Published online: Apr 25, 2018
Published in print: Jul 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Sep 25, 2018
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