Different Loading Systems for Reinforced Earth Walls under Strip Footing Load

Abstract

In this paper the behavior of reinforced earth walls with rigid and flexible faces under strip footing load was studied by numerical analysis. In one numerical model the strip footing load was free to have horizontal and vertical movements and in another the horizontal movement of the strip footing load was restricted. By considering these two different models, the results of 2D and 3D numerical analysis (Plaxis) were compared with the full scale test results about the horizontal earth pressures, lateral wall deflections and consequently maximum tensile force on reinforcement layers. For modeling the compaction loads in each layer two equal distributed loads were considered in the top and bottom of each soil layer and also the influence of sidewall friction was studied in a 3D numerical analysis. Results showed that there is good agreement between 3D numerical analysis and full scale test results by considering the horizontal restriction for the strip footing load.