Numerical evaluation of the effect of foundation on the behaviour of reinforced soil walls

摘要

This study numerically investigates the influence of foundation conditions, in combination with other factors such as wall height and reinforcement and facing stiffness, on the behaviour of reinforced soil walls (RSWs) under working stress conditions. The foundation was simulated using different stiffnesses and geometries (with and without slope). The results highlight the importance of the combined effect of foundation conditions and the abovementioned factors on the performance of RSWs. The results of these analyses indicate that the shape of the distribution of the maximum reinforcement loads (Tmax) with respect to wall height depends on the combined effect of the foundation condition, facing and reinforcement stiffness, and wall height, and varies from trapezoidal to triangular. Additionally, the results indicate that the effect of variations in foundation stiffness on reinforcement tension mobilisation decreases with wall height. Furthermore, the Tmax prediction accuracy of three design methods were evaluated and some limitations of each method are presented and discussed.