Temperatures and Related Behavior in Segmental Retaining Wall System

Abstract

A segmental retaining wall reinforced with geosynthetics was constructed on the University of Wisconsin—Platteville campus from October to December 1993. It was 3.5 m high and 36.6 m long and was instrumented to measure movements, earth pressures, forces between segmental units, temperatures, and strains in the geogrid reinforcement. Monitoring of the instrumentation was done during construction and is continuing. The results of the monitoring program pertaining to temperatures, geogrid strains, and normal forces acting between adjacent layers of facing units of the wall are reported. The maximum temperature recorded in the wall was 28°C, and the minimum was —4°C. Maximum strains in the geogrid were 0.50 percent. Load cell measurements of the normal force acting on a facing unit were initially about twice the weight of the units above the load cell. With time the measured normal forces decreased to approach the weight of the units above. Wall behavior appears to be related to seasonal temperature changes,...