Investigation of Dynamic Response of Cantilever Retaining Walls Using FEM

Dynamic response of cantilever retaining walls under seismic loads is of great importance due to the vast application of this kind of structures in civil engineering field. In this paper, finite element analysis, using Plaxis software, has been employed to investigate the effects of mechanical properties of the soil and wall on the dynamic behavior of a cantilever retaining wall. Also the effects of amplitude and frequency of the source vibration on the response of the wall have been studied and discussed. The results show that wall displacement increases when soil density and amplitude of harmonic load increase, while the dynamic response of the wall decreases with increase in the values of friction angle, cohesion, elasticity and damping of the soil. The response also increases when the stiffness of the retaining wall increases. Finally, it is shown that amplification occurs when input motions coincide with the natural period of the backfill and produce considerably permanent displacements.