Pseudo-dynamic active force and pressure behind battered retaining wall supporting inclined backfill

Abstract

Knowledge of seismic active earth pressure behind rigid retaining wall is very important. Commonly used Mononobe–Okabe method considers pseudo-static approach, which gives the linear distribution of seismic earth force. In this paper, the pseudo-dynamic approach, which considers the effect of primary and shear wave propagations, is adopted to calculate the seismic active force. Considering the planar rupture surface, the effect of wide range of parameters like inclination of retaining wall, inclination of backfill surface, wall friction and soil friction angle, shear wave and primary wave velocity, horizontal and vertical seismic coefficients are taken into account to evaluate the seismic active force. Results are presented in terms of seismic coefficients in tabular form and variation of pressure along the depth.