TITLE:
Analytical and Numerical Study of the Hydro-Mechanical Behavior of a Cantilever Retaining Wall in Upward Seepage Conditions
AUTHORS:
Mbuh Moses Kuma, Nsahlai Leonard, Penka Jules Bertrand, Kouamou Nguessi Arnaud, Tchemou Gilbert, Agandeh Elvis, Phonchu Claret Abong
KEYWORDS:
Cantilever, Retaining Wall, Overturning, Hydro-Mechanical, Soil-Structure, Interaction
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Engineering and Technology,
Vol.12 No.4,
October
21,
2024
ABSTRACT: Poor design of ground water evacuation mechanisms is often blocked and leads to the rise of ground water behind the wall. As a result, free water behind the wall that is not quickly evacuated, increases the lateral pressure and thus favors overturning failure. The resolution of the overturning problem in cantilever retaining walls caused by hydro-mechanical interaction was studied. An analytical and numerical method was used to study this type of wall-floor interaction. Then Coulomb’s design criterion against overturning to develop a mathematical model that compute analytical factor of safety against overturning in different water conditions and heel lengths was used. The modeling and simulation of this system in the Cast3m software which took into account a wide variety of floor and wall properties were performed. The numerical factor of safety against rollover was obtained, and the graphs for the factor of safety versus heel length and immersion depth for both methods were plotted. From (0 ≤ Hw ≤ H/3), water effect is not dangerous to wall stability against overturning and from (H/3 Hw ≤ H), water effect is very dangerous to wall stability against overturning. For analytical and numerical methods, the heel can be predimensioned against overturning as: Lc: [0.27H 0.38H], [0.29H 0.43H] for 0 ≤Hw ≤ H/3; [0.33H 0.45H], [0.39H 0.53H] for H/3 Hw ≤ 2H/3; [0.5H 0.6H], [0.50H 0.67H] for 2H/3 Hw≤ H. The numerical method guaranteeing more safety than the analytical method, Cantilever retaining walls can thus be pre-dimensioned considering Clayey-Sand soil in hydro-mechanical conditions.