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Dynamic soil-structure interaction between retaining walls, retaining soil and retained structures

Psarropoulos Prodromos N., Tsompanakis Ioannis, Katsirakis Emmanouil

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Summary

Dynamic soil response and dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI) play an important role on the seismic response and distress of all engineering structures. The role of soil response and DSSI can be either beneficial or detrimental depending on the relationship between the dynamic characteristics of: (a) the seismic excitation(s) at the seismic bedrock (or at the rock-outcrop), (b) the soil layer(s) – if any, and (c) the overlying structure. On the other hand, the seismic response of a retaining wall is another DSSI problem, where the term "structure" is used to describe the retaining wall, while the term "soil" includes, apart from the retained soil layer(s), the soil layer(s) of the wall foundation. In urban environments the need for deep excavations usually requires the construction of temporal or even permanent retaining walls close to pre-existing structures, a fact that will probably have an impact on the dynamic soil response and/or the prevailing DSSI pattern. This positive or negative impact depends on the circumstances, while in the worst-case scenario this interaction may lead to single or double resonance phenomena. Under this perspective, the current study examines numerically the complex phenomenon of dynamic wall-soil-structure interaction (DWSSI). Additionally, an effective mitigation measure is examined, consisting of expanded polystyrene (EPS) blocks behind the retaining wall. This soft inclusion may offer a "frequency tuning" of the system that can potentially reduce the detrimental effects of DWSSI on the structure and/or the wall.

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