Seismic Deformation of Bar Mat Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls. II: A Multiblock Model
This article is a reply.
VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLEPublication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 130, Issue 1
Abstract
A relatively simple rigid plastic multiblock computational model has been developed to predict the permanent seismic displacement of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls. The model formulation was based on many observations made from a series of centrifuge tests carried out on many different configurations of MSE walls. The proposed model is similar to the sliding block method of Newmark. The approach accounted for the variation in acceleration within the backfill and the nonuniform nature of the permanent wall face deformation. The predictive capability of the proposed model has been verified using centrifuge test results obtained for four MSE walls each subjected to three earthquake excitations with strength varying between 0.48 and The analytical model captures many aspects of the characteristic deformation behavior of MSE walls observed in the centrifuge tests. In each of the eleven wall displacement cases studied, the backfill friction angle that yielded a good match between the computed and measured maximum wall displacement was consistent with the corresponding laboratory measured values.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1996). Standard specification for highway bridges, 16th Ed., Washington, D.C.
Arulmoli, K., Muraleetharan, K. K., Hossain, M. M., and Fruth, L. S. (1992). “VELACS:Verification of liquefaction analyses by centrifuge studies—laboratory testing program soil data report.” The Earth Technology Corporation, Irvine, Calif.
Bathurst, R. J. (1998). NCMA segmental retaining wall—seismic design manual, 1st Ed., National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.
Bathurst, R. J., and Hatami, K.(1998). “Seismic response analysis of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining wall.” Geosynthet. Int., 5(1–2), 127–166.
Cai, Z., and Bathurst, R. J.(1995). “Seismic response analysis of geosynthetic reinforced soil segmental retaining walls by finite element method.” Comput. Geotech., 17(4), 255–268.
Cai, Z., and Bathurst, R. J.(1996). “Seismic-induced permanent displacement of geosynthetic-reinforced segmental retaining walls.” Can. Geotech. J., 33, 937–955.
Christopher, B. R., Gill, S. A., Giroud, J. P., Juran, I., Mitchell, J. K., Schlosser, F., and Dunnicliff, J. (1990). “Reinforced soil structures—Design and construction guidelines,” Rep. No. FHWA-RD-89-043, Vol. 1, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Comité Européen de Normalisation—European Committee for Standardization (CEN). (1994). “Design provisions for earthquake resistance of structures—Part 5: Foundations, retaining structures and geotechnical aspects.” Eurocode 8, Brussels.
Elias, V., Christopher, B. R., and Berg, R. R. (2001). “Mechanically stabilized earth walls and reinforced soil slopes: Design and construction guidelines.” Rep. No. FHWA-NHI-00-043, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Ganeshwara, V. (1999). “Centrifuge and analytical modeling of permanent seismic displacement of MSE walls.” MS thesis, Univ. of Nevada, Reno, Nv.
Hatami, K., and Bathurst, R. J. (2001). “Investigation of seismic response of reinforced soil retaining walls.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (CD Rom), San Diego.
Helwany, S. M. B., Budhu, M., and McCallen, D.(2001). “Seismic analysis of segmental retaining walls I: Model verification.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(9), 741–749.
Helwany, S. M. B., and McCallen, D.(2001). “Seismic analysis of segmental retaining walls II: Effects of facing details.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 127(9), 750–756.
International Navigation Association (INA). (2001). “Seismic design guidelines for port structures.” Rep. by Working Group No. 34 of the Maritime Navigation Commission, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Kutter, B. L., Casey, J. A., and Romstad, K. M. (1990). “Centrifuge modeling and field observations of dynamic behavior of reinforced soil and concrete cantilever retaining walls.” Proc., 4th U.S. National Conf. on Earthquake Engineering, Palm Springs, Calif., Vol. 3, 663–672.
Kutter, B. L., and Chen, Y. R.(1997). “Costant p’ and constant volume friction angles are different.” Geotech. Test. J., 20(3), 304–316.
Lai, C. S. (1979). “Behavior of retaining walls under seismic loading.” M.E Rep., Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Mitchell, J. K., and Villet, W. C. B. (1987). “Reinforcement of earth slopes and embankments.” NCHRP Rep. No. 290, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
Nadim, F., and Whitman, R. V.(1983). “Seismically induced movement of retaining walls.” J. Geotech. Eng., 109(7), 915–931.
Newmark, N. M.(1959). “A method of computation for structural dynamics.” J. Eng. Mech., 85(3), 67–94.
Reinforced Earth Co. (1995). “Structures in seismic regions,” Marketing Pamphlet, The Reinforced Earth Company, McLean, Va.
Richards, R., and Elms, D. G.(1979). “Seismic behavior of gravity retaining walls.” J. Geotech. Eng. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 105(4), 449–464.
Seed, H. B. and Whitman, R. V. (1970). “Design of earth retaining structures for dynamic loads,” Proc., ASCE Conf. on Lateral Stresses in the Ground and the Design of Earth Retaining Structures, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 103–147.
Segrestin, P., and Bastick, M. J. (1988). “Seismic design of reinforced earth retaining walls—The contribution of finite element analysis.” Proc., Int. Geotechnical Symp. on Theory and Practice of Earth Reinforcement, Fukuoka, Japan.
Siddharthan, R., Ara, S., and Norris, G. M.(1992). “Simple rigid plastic model for seismic tilting of rigid walls.” J. Struct. Eng., 118(2), 469–487.
Siddharthan, R. V., Ganeshwara, V., Kutter, B. L., El-Desouky, M., Whitman, R. V.(2004). “Seismic deformation of bar mat mechanically stabilized earth walls. I: Centrifuge tests,” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 130(1), 14–25.
Siddharthan, R. V., and Norris, G. M.(1991). “On the seismic displacement response of rigid retaining walls.” Soils Found., 31(2), 51–64.
Vucetic, M., Tufenkjian, M., and Doroudian, M.(1993). “Dynamic centrifuge testing of soil nailed excavations.” Geotech. Test. J., 16(2), 172–187.
Wood, J., and Elms, D. G. (1990). “Seismic design of bridge abutments and retaining walls.” Road and Research Unit Bulletin 84, Transit New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.
Yogendrakumar, M., Bathurst, R. J., and Finn, W. D. L.(1992). “Dynamic response analysis of reinforced soil retaining wall.” J. Geotech. Eng., 118(8), 1158–1167.
Zeng, X., and Steedman, R. S.(2000). “Rotating block method for seismic displacement of gravity walls.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 126(8), 709–717.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 130 • Issue 1 • January 2004
Pages: 26 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 1, 2002
Accepted: May 6, 2003
Published online: Dec 15, 2003
Published in print: Jan 2004
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.