Stability of Anchored Retaining Walls Under Seismic Loading Conditions to Obtain Minimal Anchor Lengths Using The Improved Failure Model

Abstract

Anchored retaining walls are structures designed to support different loading applied in static and dynamic cases. The purpose of this work is to design and study the stability of an anchored retaining wall loaded with different seismic actions to obtain minimal anchor lengths. Mononobe-Okabe theory has been applied for the evaluation of seismic earth pressures developed behind the anchored wall. Checking the dynamic stability of anchored retaining walls is usually done using the classic Kranz model. To take into consideration the effects of the internal forces developed during failure, we have proposed a new model, based on the Kranz model, which will be used as the Kranz model to find the critical angle failure performed iteratively until the required horizontal anchor length is reached for a minimum safety factor. The results of this study confirm that the effect of the seismic load on the design of an anchored retaining wall, and its stability, has a considerable influence on the estimation of anchor lengths. To validate the modifications made to the new model, a numerical analysis was carried out using the Plaxis 2D software. The interpretation of the obtained results may provide more detailed explanation on the effect of seismic intensities for the design of anchored retaining walls.