Parametric Study of Embedded Cantilever Retaining Walls - The Results of a Finite Element Study

摘要

The design of cantilever retaining walls is based on approximate limit equilibrium calculations which assume a point of zero movement occurs at some depth near the toe of the wall. The paper describes the results of a finite element study to check the validity of the technique. The accuracy of the calculated embedment is checked, and the influence of parameters such as initial soil stress and construction procedure is evaluated. The analysis is restricted to fully drained, effective stress soil parameters in order to facilitate comparison with limit equilibrium results. An elasto-plastic constitutive law is used to model the soil behavior. The results of the study indicate that the limit equilibrium method gives a very reasonable estimate of the embedment depth required to ensure stability.