Earthquake Response of a Gravity Retaining Wall with Geofoam Inclusion

This paper employs a dynamic finite-element analysis to explore the effectiveness of expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam buffers in improving the seismic performance of gravity retaining walls. The earthquake behavior of a gravity retaining wall with and without an EPS panel installed between the wall and the retained earth structure was examined in terms of seismic wall displacement and dynamic wall thrust. The numerical results indicate that the presence of an EPS panel behind the wall would result in a reduction of the earthquake-induced permanent wall displacements, thus demonstrating the positive role of geofoam inclusions as seismic isolators for gravity retaining walls in earthquake prone areas.