Optimum Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls Using Target Reliability Approach

Abstract

In this paper, an approach for reliability-based design optimization of reinforced concrete cantilever retaining wall is described. A parametric study is conducted to assess the effect of uncertainties in design parameters on the probability of failure of cantilever retaining walls. In total, ten modes of failure are considered, viz. overturning of the wall about its toe, sliding of the wall on its base, eccentricity, bearing capacity failure below the base slab, and shear and moment failure in the toe slab, heel slab, and stem. The analysis is performed by treating backfill and foundation soil properties, geometric properties of wall, and reinforcement and concrete properties as random variables. These results are used to develop a set of reliability-based design charts for different coefficients of variation of friction angle of backfill soil (5 and 10%) and targeting reliability index