• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.331-343
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• 2017

In this study to improve stability, workability and economics of the H-Pile+Earth plate or H-Pile+Earth plate+Cutoff grouting currently in use, we had developed HCS method belonging to the retaining wall which is consisting of a combination H-Pile, Plastic Sheet Pile and Steel Square Pipe for gap maintenance and reinforcement of flexible plastic Sheet Pile, and the behavior of each member composing HCS method is investigated by three-dimensional finite element analysis. To numerically analyze the behavior of the HCS method, we have performed extensive three-dimentional finite element analysis for three kinds of plastic Sheet Pile size, two kinds of H-Pile size and three kinds of H-Pile installation interval, one kinds of Steel Square Pipe and three kinds of Steel Square Pipe installation interval. After analyzing the numerical results, we found that the combinations of $P.S.P-460{\times}131.5{\times}7t$ (PS7) and H-Pile $250{\times}250{\times}9{\times}14$ (H250), $P.S.P473{\times}133.5{\times}9t$ (PS9) and H-Pile $300{\times}200{\times}9{\times}14$ (H300) is the most economical because these combinations are considered to have a stress ratio (=applied stress/allowable stress) close to that as the stiffness of H-Pile, plastic Sheet Pile and Steel Square Pipe composite increased, the horizontal displacement of the retaining wall and the vertical displacement of the upper ground decreased. Especially, due to the arching effects caused by the difference in stiffness between H-Pile and plastic Sheet Pile, a large part of the earth pressure acting on plastic Sheet Pile caused a stress transfer to H-Pile, and the stress and displacement of plastic Sheet Pile were small. Through this study, we can confirm the behavior of each member constituting the HCS method, and based on the confirmed results of this study, it can be used to apply HCS method in reasonable, stable and economical way in the future.