Failure Mechanisms and Strain-Dependent Parameters of Helical Soil-Nailed Walls under Seismic Conditions

Abstract

A series of shaking table tests were performed on reduced-scale models of helical soil-nailed walls (HSNWs) to evaluate the effect of the nail arrangement and nail inclination on the failure mechanisms and dynamic characteristics of this type of retaining structures under seismic conditions. The results of particle image velocimetry (PIV) showed that the potential failure surfaces in the helical soil-nailed walls were parabolic ones with an inflection point and the dimensions of failure wedge increased as the length and inclination of the nails increased. A combination of overturning and base sliding was identified as the predominant deformation mode in the HSNWs and that base sliding faded with an increase in the nail inclination. It was found that horizontal helical nails located in the lower half of the wall played a more effective role in reducing lateral displacement, but the opposite was true for HSNWs with inclined nails. The use of inclined nails instead of horizontal ones was found to be an efficient solution for increasing the shear modulus in HSNWs. The efficiency of this solution decreased with the use of shorter nails in the upper half of the walls and was eventually minimized by increasing the length of the nails across the wall height. It was found that, although the use of helical nails instead of grouted ones reduced wall damping, it could be a good solution for increasing the stiffness of the soil-nailed walls.