Abstract
In this study, the failure mode of flexible reinforced soil slopes under earthquake action was investigated by shaking table tests. The distribution law of a potential failure surface of a flexible no-faceplate reinforced soil slope under earthquake action was obtained based on the analysis results. A simplified trilinear failure surface suitable for flexible reinforced soil slopes without faceplate was proposed. Subsequently, based on the upper-bound theorem of limit analysis, we derived the formula for calculating the yield seismic acceleration coefficient of a flexible no-faceplate reinforced soil slope under a seismic load. The main parameters that affect its seismic performance were determined. The flexible geogrid reverse-packed reinforced earth structure can effectively limit the fracture of a slope body and improve the stability of the slope. This provides a theoretical basis for facilitating the engineering of flexible reinforced soil slopes.
Highlights
Earthquake disaster investigations have revealed that road damage caused by earthquakes occurs mostly on the roadbed, embankment, or supporting structure along the road, thereby inducing nonuniform settlement, collapse, and landslide of the foundation
Under the action of the EL-Centro seismic wave with an amplitude of 0.15 g, the reinforced soil slope displayed only a marginal vibration, and no apparent deformation occurred on the slope surface or slope top
The upper limit method of plastic limit analysis was used to analyze the potential failure surface of the flexible reinforced soil slope and obtain the yield acceleration coefficient. e theorem assumes that soil moves in the form of a rigid plastic body when a slope fails. e theorem requires that the energy dissipation power must be at least equal to the external force power for any maneuverable failure mechanism [27]. e external force power includes the power generated by the slope soil weight and seismic load. e internal energy dissipation power includes the rate of energy dissipation to the reinforcement and the rate of energy dissipation caused by the cohesive force of the soil on the fracture surface
Summary
Earthquake disaster investigations have revealed that road damage caused by earthquakes occurs mostly on the roadbed, embankment, or supporting structure along the road, thereby inducing nonuniform settlement, collapse, and landslide of the foundation. Research on reinforced soil retaining structures is conducted based on theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experiment. Bathurst et al [10] used the finite difference program FLAC to perform numerical modeling and analysis of reinforced earth retaining walls with continuous integral rigid panels. Mendon [11] applied numerical program modeling to analyze the performance of a geogrid-reinforced embankment under the action of ground motion. They studied the effect of different damping ratios on its dynamic response. Considering these, in this study, the shaking table test method was implemented to investigate the failure mechanism and mode of flexible reinforced soil slopes under an earthquake action
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