The response of gravity retaining walls under strong earthquake motions is a topic of concern since large catastrophic failures have become more frequent during earthquake and post-earthquake events. Neglecting the amplification of ground motion along the surface was an important reason for severe damages in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. In this paper, the response of a gravity retaining wall under different earthquake motions is analysed using a two-dimensional finite-difference method. The strong-motion parameters, peak ground acceleration (PGA) and predominant frequency are particularly investigated. The responses of the retaining wall in terms of the relative horizontal displacement of the wall, active pressure on the wall and response spectra are analysed for input motions with varying PGA and predominant frequency. An empirical equation for the amplification factor at the top of the wall is developed as a function of the PGA and predominant frequency from the observed results. Such an equation can be particularly helpful for rapid assessments of gravity retaining walls in terms of their earthquake resilience and can be assimilated within the design process with relative ease.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.