Slip Line Solution for Active Earth Pressure of Retaining Walls with Relief Shelves Subjected to Base Rotation

Abstract

At present, the research on retaining walls with relief shelves mainly focuses on translational displacement mode, and the research on RB mode is less. Using adaptive software, it is possible to obtain the grid distribution diagram and shear dissipation diagram of the filling soil by simulating the retaining wall’s rotation around its heel. The shear dissipation diagram was examined to determine the distribution of sliding surfaces in the active limit condition. The plastic region was meshed using the slip line technique. The slip line mesh distribution and the finite-element mesh distribution were compared to ensure that the two mesh distributions were consistent. Simultaneously, with the effect of retaining wall geometry, infill soil quality, and other elements on the grid distribution and earth pressure being investigated, by contrasting the computed normal earth pressure (σn) distribution with the finite-element findings, the correctness of the approach was demonstrated. It was discovered that increasing the relief shelf position and wall heel length will reduce the retaining wall’s earth pressure, while increasing the relief shelf length will have the reverse effect. In the active limit condition, the retaining wall earth pressure decreased with increasing filling strength, but changes in filling quality had little impact on grid distribution.