2D numerical analysis of a cantilever retaining wall backfilled with sand–tire chips mixtures

Abstract

Previous research has shown that the backfill behind a retaining wall can be constructed with sand–tire chips (STC) mixture; this can lead to reduced horizontal displacements and earth pressures on the structure and allows lower design requirements, which implies lesser dimensions of the retaining wall. In this paper, the performance and stability of a cantilever retaining wall (CRW) with different STC mixtures, as lightweight backfill materials, were evaluated and analyzed numerically using the finite element software, RS². The elastic parameters of the STC mixtures were computed using homogenization techniques, and the other engineering properties were obtained based on published literature. The results show that total displacement, vertical displacement, lateral pressures, lateral displacements, maximum shear forces and maximum bending moments are reduced considerably, and global stability of the retaining wall is enhanced when STC mixtures are used instead of sand alone. The mixture with the best overall mechanical behaviour was the one with a tire chips/sand ratio of 66.54/33.46 by weight or 81/19 by volume is used compared to the other mixing ratios.

Keywords:

• Sand–tire chips mixture
• backfill
• homogenization
• cantilever retaining wall (CRW)
• earth pressures
• numerical analysis

Acknowledgements

Authors thanks Elsevier for the permission to reuse some data/material.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

For Sidi Bel Abbes University, this project has been realized within The Exceptional National Program (PNE 2016/2017) of the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. For University of Minho, this work was supported by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, within ISISE, project UID/ECI/04029/2013 as well as by 318 COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043.