Seismic stability of retaining wall–soil sliding interaction using modified pseudo-dynamic method

Abstract

Seismic stability analysis is an important aspect in the design of safe retaining walls in earthquake-prone areas. In this study, the limit equilibrium method is used for sliding stability analysis of a gravity retaining wall supporting cohesionless backfill by modified pseudo-dynamic seismic forces. The proposed modified pseudo-dynamic method satisfies the zero-stress boundary condition at the free ground surface and considers soil amplification inherent to soil properties. The study shows that wall–soil interaction in various seismic conditions may or may not be in phase for maximum sliding of the wall. The critical seismic acceleration coefficients for sliding are computed and the amount of sliding is computed using Newmark's sliding block method. The results of the study are presented in the form of figures and tables for a particular set of input parameters. Comparisons of the present results with a few available theories for the seismic case show the merit of the method, which can be used to design seismically stable retaining walls.