NUMERICAL MODELING OF RETAINING STRUCTURES MADE OF BLOCKS WITH SOIL INFILL

The relevance of the study is driven by the expanding use of numerical models in the design practice of retaining structures and the need for their verification. A promising design solution for retaining walls is a stepped structure, sequentially constructed from hollow-body box type blocks infilled with crushed stone. This solution has several features that require the adaptation of existing calculation methods. A numerical model of a retaining structure made of thin-walled blocks infilled with soil has been developed based on the analysis of the interaction between the structure's components under load, taking into account the work of the foundation and surrounding soil. The SiO2D finite element modeling computer software was used as a modeling tool. The calculation results for the proposed numerical models are compared with corresponding results for analytical solutions. The parameter values of the main physico-mechanical properties of the numerical models were determined as a result of field and laboratory tests in accordance with standard methodologies considering the scale of the tests. The features of the design solution and construction technology of retaining structures made of thin-walled reinforced concrete blocks infilled with crushed stone were examined. Numerical models of retaining structures made of soil-infilled blocks were constructed using the domestic software package SiO2D. Laboratory and field tests established the parameters of the numerical model of the retaining structure. The research demonstrates high values of the structural cohesion («interlocking») parameter c (up to 60 kPa), alongside a high internal friction angle value φ (up to 60°), ensuring high shear stability of the infilled blocks. The study, using numerical models, proposes a calculation basis for retaining structures made of soil-infilled blocks forming a stepped construction, where the blocks are not rigidly connected but are held in their design position by the internal resistance forces of the soil against shear.