Analytical method for the lateral displacements of steel-reinforced soil walls on stiff foundations with incremental panel facings

Abstract

The lateral facing displacement of a reinforced soil wall is one of the serviceability issues that must be checked during its design stage. However, estimating the lateral facing displacement is difficult because of the influences of many contributing factors. In this study, an analytical method is proposed to estimate the lateral facing displacement of a steel-reinforced soil wall founded on stiff foundation soil and having an incremental panel facing. The method takes into account the displacement at the back of the reinforced soil, which has been neglected in existing analytical methods. It also incorporates a logical approach to consider the effects of soil compaction and construction sequence. Reinforcement extension and soil–reinforcement slippage are considered in the analytical method through two sets of straightforward formulae. The method makes conservative assumptions on the lateral earth pressure at the back of the reinforced soil, the influence of facing elements, and the reinforcement slippage in the reinforced soil mass, but the method is not overly conservative. The method was validated against available results of numerical simulations, model experiments and full-scale tests.