ASSESSING EARTHQUAKE-INDUCED DISPLACEMENT IN COMPOSITE REINFORCED-SOIL RETAINING WALLS

Today, civil engineering primarily deals with earthen, vertical, and sloped wall stabilization, which involves nailing and a combination of nailing and anchoring systems under static and seismic conditions. Using a 2D geometric plane strain model and the 2D Plaxis software, this parametric study employed the Finite Element Method to examine the maximum lateral displacement of a wall and the safety factor of wall stability under static conditions after excavation and seismic conditions after earthquake simulation to optimize nailing angles and anchor positioning (in composite nailing and anchoring systems). The results of parametric studies showed that under static conditions, the optimal angles of the nailing to decrease the maximum lateral displacement of the wall and increase the safety factor of the wall’s stability were 5° and 25°, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum lateral displacement of the wall and the safety factor of the wall’s stability, with the anchors positioned at the low end of the middle layer, held the lowest and the highest values, respectively. Also, under seismic conditions, the optimal angles of the nailing to decrease the maximum lateral displacement of the wall and to increase the safety factors of the wall’s stability were 10° and 25°, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum lateral displacement of the wall and the safety factor of the wall’s stability, with the anchor positioned at the low end of the middle layer, held the lowest and the highest values, respectively.