Abstract :
simple, efficient and practical numerical model is described for analysis of cantilevered
and strutted flexible retaining walls. The model accommodates a variety of features that affect the
performance of retaining walls in the field such as application and removal of struts, application of
surcharge, changes in the water table, changes in the soil properties and simulation of staged
excavations. Unlike conventional finite element and finite difference models that require a considerable
effort and knowledge to prepare the input data, the proposed model requires only a few
lines of data to define the problem and control the analysis. The computational results include
bending moment, shear force and deflection of the wall, strut loads and lateral stresses in the soil at
any stage of the analysis. The model can be used effectively to perform a broad suite of parametric
studies at the design stage and also as a reliable tool for predicting performance. To demonstrate
the latter, the model is applied to analyze several problems involving different wall types in stiff and
soft soils. Despite the implicit idealizations in the formulation of the model, such as a linear variation
of soil stiffness with depth, the model is shown to provide results that are acceptable for design
purposes and of the same quality as those obtained from conventional tinite element models.
Copyright 0 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
