Seismic Response of a Geosynthetic-Reinforced Slope in Northeastern Taiwan

Geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining structure has gradually replaced the old-style gravity retaining structure the world over and become the mainstream of soil retaining structure technology. In recent times, the geosynthetic reinforced technology is broadly used in the construction project for slope in Taiwan. It is essential to understand the response of geosynthetic reinforced slope for the dynamic behavior under seismic forces, especially in the region that earthquakes occur frequently. In this study, the seismic monitoring system on the geosynthetic reinforced slope built in FoGuang University is set up to record the seismic data. PLAXIS finite element program is utilized to simulate the seismic response of the geosynthetic reinforced slope under earthquakes. The recorded seismic data from the site monitoring system are applied to the PLAXIS finite element analysis program for validating and exploring the PLAXIS dynamic simulation program. The technique of seismic numerical simulation for the geosynthetic reinforced slope by the PLAXIS finite element program is described briefly. The seismic simulation process is also performed for investigating the maximum acceleration overall the study slope. Both the monitored and the predicted results show that the acceleration amplification of geosynthetic reinforced slope does occur under earthquake from the bottom to the top.