AN OVERVIEW TO THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE INVERTED T TYPE CANTILEVER RETAINING WALL TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SOIL STRUCTURE INTERACTION PHENOMENON

Abstract

The dynamic response of the cantilever retaining walls is affected by many factors such as the geometry of the wall, the earthquake frequency content, the wall flexibility, the backfill characteristics, and the soil structure interaction. Therefore, it may not be possible to analyse all aspects of the dynamic response of the cantilever retaining walls in spite of their simplicity. It is also well known that some unfavourable effects on the behaviour of the walls may impair the balance of the wall. In this context, the study aims to investigate the dynamic response of the T type cantilever retaining wall considering soil structure interaction. In line with this purpose, the soil structure interaction system is produced with a three dimensional finite element model. The seismic analyses are performed in time domain using C-OLC360 component of 1983 Coalinga earthquake, and four different foundation soil systems are used in these analyses. The elasto-plastic behaviour of the backfill and the foundation soil are represented with Drucker-Prager material model. In order to reflect the material damping of the system, Rayleigh damping is utilized considering mass and stiffness proportional dampings. In addition, the viscous boundary dashpot elements which consider the criteria of Lysmer and Kuhlemeyer for wave propagation, are placed around the boundaries of the numerical model. The results are examined in terms of both the stresses and displacements. The findings have revealed that the dynamic response of the T shaped cantilever retaining walls is considerably affected by the soil structure interaction.