Analyses of a near-fault geosynthetic-reinforced modular block wall damaged during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake

摘要

A near-fault geosynthetic-reinforced modular block wall (RMBW) damaged during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake (M_L=7.3) is analyzed using a new 'three-wedge' method. The new method calculates the stability of the facing and soil wedges interactively. As a result, a safety margin against shear failure on the potential failure surface is the only output. Therefore, irrelevant safety criteria can be eliminated. The new method gives not only an accurate estimation on the contribution of block facing to the seismic stability of RMBW's but also accurate failure patterns under seismic conditions. A new method for calculating seismic displacement of RMBW's based on the 'three-wedge' mechanism and the 'displacement diagram' is developed. It is demonstrated that this method gives more realistic displacements of RMBW's than any other existing pseudo-static methods.