Physical modeling of the trench with rigid retaining walls reinforced with inclined relief shelves

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran

3 Department of Civil Engineering, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran

4 Department of Civil Engineering, Roudehen Branch, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran

Abstract

Connecting relief shelves (RS) to the retaining walls play a significant role in reducing the lateral pressure of the earth on the retaining wall of the trenches. So far, the conducted research has only evaluated the vertical state of the RS. In this article, physical modeling has been used to investigate the role of inclined RS in reducing static and active lateral pressure on the retaining wall in order to improve the stability of trenches. In this regard, by making a system including a rectangular cube box in the laboratory and performing several series of 1g tests, the changes of lateral pressure on the retaining wall during the couple of inclined RS with overheads have been evaluated. It was found that the effect of an upward-sloping RS (70 degrees) with an increase in the amount of overhead and RS width in reducing the lateral pressure on the wall was greater than that of a vertical (90 degrees) and downward sloping RS (110 degrees). This result, which was proved for the first time in the current study, shows that the changes in the angle of the RS perpendicular to the wall, either upwards or downwards, have a positive effect on reducing the lateral pressure on the wall by creating dispersion in the force level and anchor concentration. Its role will be insignificant when the width of the RS is small.

Keywords

Main Subjects


  • Banerjee, SP. 1977. “Soil behaviour and pressure on retaining structures with relief shelves”. Indian Highw, pp 21–34

    Bowles, JE. 1997. “Foundation analysis and design” 5th edn. McGraw-Hill, Singapore.

    Chaudhuri, P.R, Garg, A.K, Rao, M.V.B, Sharma, R.N, Satija, P.D. 1973. “Design of retaining wall with relieving shelves”. IndianRoad Cong J 35(2):289–325.

    Chauhan, V. B. 2017. “Behaviour of rigid retaining wall with relief shelves”. Dissertation, IIT, Bombay, Mumbai, India.

    Chauhan, V. B. 2021. “Limit analysis of the retaining wall with relief shelves under static surcharge loading using FEM”. Sadhana, 46: 135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-021-01662-9

    Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2016. “Behaviour of rigid retaining wall with relief shelves with cohesive backfill”. Proc. 5th Int. Conf. on Forensic Geotech. Eng., Bangalore, India, pp. 350-357.

    Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2018. “Performance of a rigid retaining wall with relief shelves”. J. Perform. Constr. Facil., 32(3): 04018021. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001161

    Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2019. “Forensic investigation of a rigid retaining wall with relief shelves using static force analysis”. Proc. 16th Asian Reg. Conf. on Soil Mech. and Geotech. Eng., Taipei, Taiwan, pp. 1-4.

    Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2021. “Behavior of rigid retaining walls with relief shelves: an analytical approach”. Geotech. Geol. Eng., 39(5): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-021-01913-w

    Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2022. “Active earth pressure on retaining wall with a relief shelf: A novel analytical method”. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut., 7: 99.

    Chauhan, V. B., Dasaka, S. M. and Khan, R. 2015. “Numerical study on the behavior of a rigid retaining wall with two relief shelves”. Proc .50th Indian Geotech. Conf., Pune, India, pp. 236-241.

    Chauhan, V. B., Khan, R. and Dasaka, S. M. 2016a. “Reduction of lateral earth pressure acting on non-yielding retaining wall using relief shelves”. Proc. Ind. Geotech. Conf., Chennai, India.

    Chauhan, V. B., Dasaka, S. M. and Gade, V. K. 2016b. “Investigation of failure of a rigid retaining wall with relief shelves”. The 15th Asian Region. Conf. on Soil Mech. Geotech. Eng., Japanese Geotechnical Society Special Publication.

    Djireb, S., Mabrouki, A., Benmeddour, D. and Mellas, M. 2020. “Investigation of active earth pressures and failure mechanism of retaining walls with a relief shelf”. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 5: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-020-00299-7.

    Farouk, H. 2014. “Finite element analysis for the retaining wall with relief shelves”. In: Brandl H, Adam D (eds) XV DanubeEuropean conference on geotechnical engineering (DECGE2014), 9–11 September. Austria, Paper No, Vienna, p 52

    Haghighat, S. 2001 “Investigation of total stress and lateral strains ratio effects on undrained behavior of saturated sandy soils by stress path triaxial tests”. M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tehran. (In Persian).

    Iai, S. 1989. “Similitude for shaking table tests on soil-structure-fluid model in 1-g gravitational field”. Soils Found., 29: 105-118.

    Jumikis, AR. 1964. “Mechanics of soils: fundamentals for advanced study”. Van Nostrand, Princeton

    Khan, R., Chauhan, V. B. and Dasaka, S. M. 2016. “Reduction of lateral earth pressure on retaining wall using relief shelf: A numerical study”. Proc. Int. Conf. Soil Environ., Bangalore, India, Paper No. 117.

    Liu G, Hu R, Pan X, Liu Y. 2011. “Model tests on earth pressure of upper part wall of sheet pile wall with relieving platform”. Rock Soil Mech 32(2):103–110

    Liu G, Hu R, Pan X, Liu Y. 2013. “Model tests on mechanical behaviors of sheet pile wall with relieving platform”. Chin J Geotech Engg 35(1):94–99

    Moon, I., Kim, B., Yoo, W. and Park, Y. 2013. “Model test for measurement of lateral earth pressure on retaining wall with the relieving platform using Jumoonjin sand”. J. Korea Acad. Ind. Cooper Soc., 14(11): 5923-5929.

    Shehata, H. F. 2016. “Retaining walls with relief shelves”. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut., 1(1): 4. https://doi.org /10.1007/s41062-016-0007-x   

    Tsagareli, Z. V. 1969. “New methods of lightweight wall construction”. Stroijzdat, Moscow.

    Yakovlev, P. I. 1974. “Experimental investigations of earth pressure on walls with two relieving platforms in the case of breaking loads on the backfill”. Soil Mech. Found. Eng., 11(3): 151-155.

    Yoo, W, Kim, B., Moon, I. and Park, Y. 2012. “Comparison of the lateral earth pressure on the retaining wall with the relieving platform by model test and numerical analysis”. J. Korea Acad. Ind. Cooper Soc., 13(5): 2382–2389. https://doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2012.13.5.2382