Effects of Material Viscous Property on Deformation Characteristics of Geosynthetic-Reinforced Retaining Wall

Abstract

Model loading tests were performed on geosynthetic-reinforced retaining wall models consisting of air-dried Toyoura sand reinforced with a polyester reinforcement to investigate the residual deformation characteristics of the structures. Vertical load was applied on the crest of the backfill by using a strip footing. Not only monotonic loading at a constant displacement rate but also sustained and cyclic loading were performed during otherwise monotonic loading. The following important results were obtained: a) significant loading rate effects due to the material viscous properties of the backfill were observed on the footing settlements and the lateral displacements of the wall facing; b) the residual displacements characteristics during sustained and cyclic loading of the footing and the wall facing were similarly; c) the tensile force and tensile strain of polyester reinforcement generally decreased with time during sustained and cyclic loading; and d) after reloading was started following a creep and cyclic loading stage, the footing load-displacement relation tended to rejoin the original relation in the case of continuous monotonic loading, showing that the residual deformation development by creep and cyclic loading is not a deteriorating phenomenon.