ISC7

A Numerical Study on Effect of Site Conditions on Connection Load in Geosynthetics-Reinforced Soil Wall

  • Kumar, Adarsh (Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar)
  • Prashant, Amit (Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar)

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Geosynthetics-Reinforced Soil (GRS) wall has gained immense popularity among other reinforced soil walls. In recent times, case studies have highlighted several GRS walls facing problems such as cracking on the facia, breakage of connection pins in the segmental block, breakage of connection between facing panel and reinforcement, and relative settlement between facia and backfill, all leading to the serviceability issues or failure of the wall. The existing design methods estimate connection loads using laboratory pull-out test, which does not incorporate the effect of on-site conditions, such as differential settlement and compaction-induced stresses, on the connection load. This study examines the reinforcement connection forces in segmental reinforced soil walls subjected to site conditions such as inadequate backfill compaction and differential settlement between facia and backfill. A finite element approach has been adopted to predict the reinforcement connection load in GRS segmental walls constructed with cohesionless backfill subjected to the above-mentioned field conditions. The segmental block facia and segmental panel facia connections were studied, incorporating appropriate geometrical and interface properties (viz. block-block interface, geosynthetics-block interface, and block-soil interface) as and when required. Based on the study, the obtained variation in connection load due to field conditions can be utilized for design recommendations. A comparative analysis of the long-term performance of the segmental block facia and segmental panel facia connections can also be performed to understand their suitability in a particular site condition.