Effect of interface on pressure-settlement characteristics of reinforced earth retaining wall

Abstract

This paper pertains to the analysis of reinforced-earth retaining walls adopting finite element method by developing a software using Fortran 77 and by considering Goodman's interface element. In the present analysis, the backfill soil, retained soil and foundation soil have been modelled using 4-noded linear isoparametric rectangular elements, and the reinforcement has been idealized as a one dimensional linear elastic bar element. The total number of soil elements, bar elements and interface elements are 3031, 266 and 532 respectively. The height of facing blocks and the reinforcement is 0.3 m. Thus a total of 21 layers of reinforcements are being used. The parametric studies have been carried out for unreinforced, reinforced cases and in reinforced earth with 100% coupling and different ratios of stiffnesses of soil and interface element for different lengths of reinforcement. � 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London.