Full-Scale Shake Table Testing to Evaluate Seismic Performance of Reinforced Soil Walls

The objective of this project is to perform numerical studies and use the Large High Performance Outdoor Shake Table (LHPOST) to investigate the dynamic performance of one or two full-scale (7 m) reinforced soil retaining walls constructed using realistic materials and methods. Considering that these walls will be substantially taller than for any similar previous research (by a factor of 2), a key focus of the proposed research will be on the influence of wall height on overall system response (i.e., stability/deformation) and the distribution of dynamic tensile forces (i.e., seismic demand) in the soil reinforcement. Other focus areas will include dynamic earth pressure on facing elements, effects of dynamic loading on soil-reinforcement stress transfer mechanisms, and permanent deformations after dynamic loading. The tests will be conducted using a unique large soil confinement box (LSCB) that is currently under construction as part of a recently funded National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The scale of these tests will permit wall construction using realistic soil types, compaction methods, and structural elements. The box will also have a unique design that permits different boundary conditions at the rear of the soil mass, including a water-filled bladder or geofoam layer.

• Record URL:
  http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/511

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $230000
• Contract Numbers:

  TPF-5(276)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  California Department of Transportation

  1227 O Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  Idaho Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 7129
  3311 W. State Street
  Boise, ID  United States  83707-1129

  Mississippi Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 1850
  Jackson, MS  United States  39215-1850

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380

  Washington State Department of Transportation

  Transportation Building
  Olympia, WA  United States  98504
• Project Managers:

  Mohamedali, Mustafa

• Performing Organizations:

  University of California, San Diego

  School of Global Policy and Strategy
  9500 Gilman Drive
  La Jolla, CA  United States  92093
• Principal Investigators:

  Fox, Patrick

• Start Date: 20130101
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20190630
• Source Data: RiP Project 42102

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deformation; Dynamic loads; Earth pressure; Earth walls; Retaining walls; Seismicity; Shaking table tests; Stability (Mechanics)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Reinforced soils
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01573313
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Contract Numbers: TPF-5(276)
• Files: RIP, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Aug 22 2015 1:01AM