Behavior of Rigid-Faced Reinforced Soil-Retaining Walls Subjected to Different Earthquake Ground Motions

Abstract

A study of the seismic behavior of rigid-faced reinforced soil-retaining walls subjected to scaled earthquake ground motions is presented in this paper. A numerical model was developed and validated to simulate the shaking-table test of a rigid-faced reinforced soil-retaining wall. The calibrated numerical model was extended to develop a full-scale model to study the behavior of five scaled earthquake (EQ) ground motion excitations with different predominant frequencies ranging from 0.673 Hz for the Loma Prieta EQ to 5.437 Hz for the Parkfield EQ. Analyses of the input ground motions at the base of the wall model and their responses at the top show that amplitudes close to the fundamental frequency of the wall were amplified the most. Two deformation zones formed: a high-strain zone very close to the facing and a constant-strain zone extending beyond the reinforced zone. The extent of these zones varied with different ground motion parameters. The minimum and maximum lengths of the shear deformation zones were observed for the Kobe EQ and the Parkfield EQ, respectively. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) or predominant frequency alone does not provide enough information to predict a structure’s performance. Different performance parameters, similar displacements and pressures attain their peak values at different times. This study re-emphasizes the importance and complexity of understanding actual earthquake ground excitations in analyzing the seismic behavior of public infrastructure facilities.