• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.195-205
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• 2021

Time effect on the deformation and strength characteristics of geogrid reinforced sand retaining wall has become an important issue in geotechnical and transportation engineering. Three physical model tests on geogrid reinforced sand retaining walls performed under various loading conditions were simulated to study their rate-dependent behaviors, using the presented nonlinear finite element method (FEM) analysis procedure. This FEM was based on the dynamic relaxation method and return mapping scheme, in which the combined effects of the rate-dependent behaviors of both the backfill soil and the geosynthetic reinforcement have been included. The rate-dependent behaviors of sands and geogrids should be attributed to the viscous property of materials, which can be described by the unified three-component elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model. By comparing the FEM simulations and the test results, it can be found that the present FEM was able to be successfully extended to the boundary value problems of geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls. The deformation and strength characteristics of the geogrid reinforced sand retaining walls can be well reproduced. Loading rate effect, the trends of jump in footing pressure upon the step-changes in the loading rate, occurred not only on sands and geogrids but also on geogrid reinforced sands retaining walls. The lateral earth pressure distributions against the back of retaining wall, the local tensile force in the geogrid arranged in the retaining wall and the local stresses beneath the footing under various loading conditions can also be predicted well in the FEM simulations.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2008

This paper describes the results of model experiments in the laboratory, which were conducted to assess the behavior characteristics of geosynthetic reinforced soil walls according to different surcharge loads and reinforcement types. The model walls were built in the box having dimension, 100 cm tall, 140 cm long, and 100cm wide. Three types of geosynthetics, geonet, geogrid A and geogrid B, are used as the reinforcements. Decomposed granite soil (SM) was used as a backfill material. Seven model walls are constructed and tested. After the construction of the model wall, the LVDTs are installed to obtain the displacements of the wall face. As the results of the model tests, the maximum horizontal displacements of the model walls occurred due to uniform surcharge pressure were measured at the 0.7H from the bottom of the wall. The more the reinforcement strength increases, the more the wall displacements decrease, and also the reduction ratio of the wall displacement decrease with increasing the surcharge pressure.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.909-935
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• 2014

The seismic characteristics of two semi-gravity reinforced concrete cantilever retaining walls are examined via an experimental program using an outdoor shake table (one with and the other without concrete masonry sound wall on top). Both walls are backfilled with compacted soil and supported on flexible foundation in a steel soil container. The primary damages during both tests are associated with significant lateral displacements of the wall caused by lateral earth pressure; however, no collapse occurs during the tests. The pressure distribution behind the walls has a nonlinear trend and conventional methods such as Mononobe-Okabe are insufficient for accurate pressure estimation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.87-94
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• 2000

This paper concerns the distribution of earth pressures on a cantilever wall with unattached reinforcements in the backfill. This type of walls is different from the existing reinforced earth walls in that unattached reinforcements are placed in the backfill of rigid retaining wall such as gravity wall and cantilever wall, instead of connecting reinforcements to the wall segments. Two large-scale prototype tests have been carried out with a 4m high cantilever wall; one with unreinforced backfill, the other with unattached strips in the backfill. The reinforcing effect of unattached strips are discussed based on the earth pressure distribution measured in two large-scale prototype tests. Also, the comparison between measured and predicted earth pressure on a wall with unattached strips are discussed herein to confirm the validity of analytical prediction.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2004

Retaining walls with reinforced earth have been constructed around the world. The use of reinforced earth is a recent development in the design and construction of earth-retaining structure. It is believed that reinforced retaining wall has some advantages which make construction quite simple basically. It wilt take short construction time relatively, comparing, fur example with reinforced-concrete retaining wall. In addition, low price and easy construction will be good attractive points in practical point of view. In this study, five field-tests monitoring data for lateral pressures on geogrid-reinforced retaining wall have been compiled and evaluated. Based on field-tests it is found that horizontal displacements of the facing was measured to be about 0.19∼0.76% and that the maximum tensile strains of reinforcement was evaluated to be about 0.66∼1.98%. The maximum tensile strains, measured from each site, do not reach 5% of the practical allowable strain of the geogrid. And also it is found that the lateral pressure distributions of reinforced-earth retaining wall are close to a trapezoid shape like a flexible retaining wall system, instead of a theoretical triangular shape.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.45-54
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• 1993

In this paper, the behaviors of reinforced earth retaining walls according to material properties of reinforcement were performed through the centrifuge model tests. Skin element was used flexible aluminum plate in the process of tests. And reinforcements were used with aluminum foil strips and non -woven polyester sheets. As a result of it, model retaining wall utilizing non-woven polyester sheets than aluminum foil strips was supported at high stress level, and maximum horizontal displacement value of skin element was 0.6H height at model walls. In the other hand, coefficient relation diagram for evaluation of horizontal displacement according to skin element location was proposed using test results.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.6C
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• pp.249-257
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• 2012

The reinforced earth method is financially viable. Furthermore, it overcomes environmental limitations and is therefore employed in retaining walls, slopes, foundations, roads, embankments, and other structures. However, in some cases, reinforced retaining walls are not strong enough in the curved sections and can collapse. Such mishaps are believed to occur because of an unsatisfactory analysis of the curved sections of a reinforced retaining wall. Accordingly, with the aim of investigating the workability and structural safety of curved sections of various types, this study investigates the differences in the estimated horizontal displacements of curved sections of various types and subsequently uses this information to study and analyze preliminary data so that appropriate measures can be taken to resolve alignment issues. The results of an experiment reveal that when a load is applied to curved sections of both concave and convex types, the largest horizontal displacement occurs at the center of the section. In the concave form, the earth pressure force is directed inward, whereas in the convex form, this force is directed outward. As a result, the horizontal displacement in convex forms is larger than that in concave forms. Convex reinforced earth structures are subjected to earth pressures as well as lateral earth pressure, therefore horizontal displacements in convex curved sections is larger than that of concave curved sections.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.51-61
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• 2000

This paper reviews fundamentals of a pseudo-static seismic design/analysis method for soil-reinforced segmental retaining walls. A comparative study on NCMA and FHWA seismic design guidelines, which are one of the most well known design guidelines for mechanically stabilized earth walls, was also performed. The results demonstrate that there exist significant discrepancies in the results of external stability analysis despite the same calculation model used in the two guidelines, due primarily to different seismic coefficient selection criteria. It is also demonstrated that the internal stability calculation model for NCMA guideline tends to yield larger seismic reinforcement force in the shallower reinforcement layers, resulting in an increased number of reinforcement layers at the top of reinforced wall and increased reinforcement lengths to ensure adequate anchorage capacity. The internal stability calculation model adopted by FHWA guideline, however, leads to redistribution of dynamic force to the lower reinforcement layers and thus results n an opposite trend of NCMA guideline. Findings from this study clearly demonstrate a need for more in-depth studies to develop a generally acceptable design/analysis method.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.39-48
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• 2007

This paper introduces a recently developed reinforced earth wall system with steel framed-facing. The new system incorporates a steel-framed facing that might be assembled on-site and steel strip or geogrid type reinforcements for backfill area. In order to enhance scenery view design of the wall construction, dual-structured facing is proposed in which room for planting space locates in the front of facing. A reinforced earth walls using the proposed system was constructed to verify constructability of the proposed system and facing movement and tensile characteristics of reinforcement were measured to understand the mechanical behavior.

• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 1986

An experimental study was carried out in the laboratory on a model of a reinforced earth retaining wall to provide the empirical data for the rational design and the construction methods on a reinforced earth retaining wall. Observed measurements included the variation of tension in the aluminium foil reinforcing strips was monitored by electrical resistance strain gauges pasted on its at different stages of construction. In addition, the lateral movement of the wall was measured by dial gauges and the mode of collapse of the wall was investigated. The measured values are discussed in comparison with the results of the existing studies of the reinforced earth retaining wall. A significant result of the experiments is that the variation of tension in reinforcing strips is non-linear with the maximum tension occuring close to wall face. Attachment of reinforcement to wall increases the stability against overturning.