Seismic Design Methods for Anchored Sheet Pile Bulkheads

The current state of practice methods for the seismic design of anchored sheet pile bulkheads are based on pseudo static, limit equilibrium mechanics developed for yielding retaining walls. Seismic loading is modeled with seismic coefficients, which are a function of the maximum accelerations associated with the design earthquakes. Limitations in the limit equilibrium approach include the relationship between seismic coefficients and ground motion parameters has not been well established and soil pressures are independent of wall stiffness. Using finite element analysis with pseudo static and dynamic loading, this paper compares seismic earth pressures and resultant forces to conventional limit equilibrium methods for a typical anchored sheet pile bulkhead in sand.