A Method for Determining the Safe Thickness of Concrete Retaining Walls Based on Slab Structure Theory

Abstract

The safe thickness of concrete retaining walls for curtain grouting on tunnel faces is an essential factor related to tunnel safety and grouting effects. In this research, the concrete retaining wall was simplified into a standard rectangular slab structure. The Rankine active earth pressure theory and the plastic hinge theory were used to analyze the lateral force of the concrete retaining wall. By deriving the safety-thickness equation of the concrete retaining wall, a quantitative criterion that can display the mechanism of the concrete retaining wall was obtained. The traditional empirical formula and Kalmykov formula had a particular connection with the method in this paper in determining the safe thickness of the concrete retaining wall. This was negatively related to the compressive (tensile) strength of the concrete and the groundwater level and positively associated with the buried depth of the tunnel. The conversion relationship between the traditional empirical formula and the theoretical formula was established, and the exact solution formula for the value of safety coefficient K0 was given. Finally, the rationality of the theoretical formula was verified by a field test, in novel work that provides a reference for similar projects.