The methods currently used for the design of reinforced earth walls with quasi‐inextensible metallic reinforcements are essentially based either upon the limit stress analysis concept or empirical relationships derived from observations on full scale structures. The development of an adequate working stress design method for these structures requires a fundamental understanding of the reinforcement effect on the load‐deformation behavior of the soil and a rational, yet relatively simple, load transfer model to simulate the soil‐reinforcement interaction. Furthermore, the response of the composite‐reinforced soil material to loading is highly dependent upon the initial state of stress and strain in the soil, and therefore the construction process and soil compaction can significantly affect the structure behavior under the expected working loads. A strain compatibility design approach which is fundamentally based on the analogy between the plane strain shear mechanism which develops along a potential failure surface in the actual structure and the response of the reinforced soil material to direct shearing is presented. The soil‐reinforcement load transfer model used in this analysis allows for the evaluation of the effect of soil dilatancy and extensibility of the reinforcement on the generated tension forces and on the probable location of the potential failure surface. In order to verify the model/design assumptions, numerical simulations of the construction process are compared with at‐failure observations on reduced scale laboratory model walls as well as with tension forces measured in reinforcements of both reduced scale model walls and full scale structures.

A simple procedure to compute the static and dynamic rocking stiffness of arbitrarily shaped rigid foundations embedded in a reasonably deep and homogeneous soil deposit is developed. The method is based on an improved understanding of the physics of the problem, substantiated by the results of extensive rigorous parametric studies using the boundary element method, and including analytical and numerical results available in the literature. Analytical expressions and dimensionless graphs are developed, applicable to both saturated and unsaturated soils, a variety of basemat shapes, and a wide range of embedment depths and types of contact between the vertical sidewalls and the surrounding soil. A numerical example illustrates the applicability of the method, while a companion paper (Fotopoulou et al. 1989) presents a simple method for determining the radiation damping of embedded foundations.

A simple analytical model is developed for estimating the rocking radiation damping coefficients of arbitrarily shaped rigid foundations embedded in an elastic homogeneous halfspace. The model, based on sound physical approximations that respect fundamental principles of dynamics and wave propagation, is calibrated with the help of rigorous numerical results from boundary element and finite element formulations. Results and comparisons are presented for a variety of basemat shapes (including the circle, rectangles with aspect ratio of up to ten, the strip, and T‐shapes), for a wide range of embedment depths, and for complete, as well as partial, symmetric and nonsymmetric contact between the vertical sidewalls and surrounding soil. Valuable insight is gained into the mechanics of radiation damping, and it is demonstrated quantitatively that, in practice, separation and slippage between side‐walls and soil would appreciably affect damping for rocking only in the lateral direction (i.e., about the long axis of the basemat).

Tables of impedance functions and effective input motions for rigid square foundations embedded in a uniform elastic half‐space are presented. The tables include numerical results obtained by a hybrid approach for embedment to half‐width ratios ranging from 1/3 to 3/2 and by a boundary element method for surface foundations. Media characterized by Poisson's ratios of 1/4, 1/3 and 0.4 are considered. The impedance functions include vertical, torsional, horizontal, rocking, and coupling terms. Effective foundation input motions for vertically incident P and SH waves and for horizontally incident SH waves are also listed.

The performance of five internally braced cuts is reviewed. The excavations are made in overconsolidated Gulf Coast soils in Texas and Louisiana. Excavation depths range from 23 to 60 ft (7.0 to 18.3 m); the braces are prestressed for one cut. Bracing loads are reported on four cuts based on measurements made during construction. Apparent earth pressures are computed and compared with published values. Wall and ground movements beyond the excavations are presented and compared with published findings. Conclusions are presented for behavior and design considerations.

The performance of 11 tieback‐supported cuts is reviewed. The excavations were made in overconsolidated Gulf Coast soils in Texas. Excavation depths ranged from 27 to 64 ft (8.2 to 19.5 m). The measured performance characteristics are compared to observations made on internally braced cuts and other tieback‐supported cuts in overconsolidated soils. Tieback loads are based on measurements made during construction. Apparent earth pressures were computed and compared with published cases. Wall and ground movements beyond the excavations are presented and compared with published experience. Conclusions are presented for behavior and design considerations.

This manuscript begins with a brief overview of the tied‐back wall system. Then it proceeds to different factors of safety used in designing this structure type. Furthermore, the effect of anchor free length is demonstrated through wall analyses using the STABL computer program. At this point, different free lengths are used and the resulting factors of safety for various anchor loads are compared. In addition, the use of many types of search routines, to determine the most critical failure surface, is discussed and through analyses the significance of determining the correct search routine is presented.

In this paper, analytical solutions have been developed for obtaining ultimate bearing capacity of footings adjacent to slopes using limit equilibrium and limit analysis approaches. One‐sided rupture failure on the side of slope was assumed and partial mobilization was considered on the side of flat ground. Results have been presented in the form of nondimensional parameters Nc, Nq and Nr for different values of ϕ, slope angle and distance of footing from slope edge. Analytical results were compared to carefully conducted model test data and the work of previous investigators.

Surficial failures are quite common and are caused by a reduction in shear strength due to saturation and swell coupled with a condition of seepage parallel to the slope face. An equation relating factor of safety to depth of seepage flow is used to investigate the surficial instability of compacted clays. The major unknowns in this equation are the drained strength parameters (ϕ′, C′) and depth of seepage flow. It is concluded that surficial stability evaluations, which are commonly performed in a fashion similar to that prescribed by Los Angeles County, may result in an overestimation of the factor of safety. The reason is that, for the tested clays, the effective cohesion intercept for gross stability is not appropriate for surficial stability analysis since it is an extrapolated value which is much greater than actual cohesion at low effective stresses.

The reasons for nonlinearity of failure envelopes for soils are examined and a simple expression for the variation of the angle of shearing strength with stress level is proposed. The nonlinear failure envelope in terms of effective stresses for most soil and rock types can be described by a simple four-parameter expression of hyperbolic type. The parameters are the basic angle of friction, the maximum angle difference, the median angle normal stress, and, conditionally, cohesion. The cohesion term vanishes in the case of noncemented soils, and applies mostly to te peak strength of rock. Peak and residual failure envelopes for soils ranging from crushed rock, gravel, and sand to clay and clay minerals can be described in terms of the proposed parameters with good agreement and generality. The proposed description simplifies interpretation of shear test results. The nonlinear description in the proposed form can be incorporated in limit equilibrium methods and stress-strain analysis.