Damage performance of steel-reinforced earth structures in the 1995 Hyogoken-Nambu Earthquake

Reinforced earth structures has been used at many sites for stabilizing slopes and embankments even during earthquake. However, there are little experience for reinforced earth structures to suffer earthquake. Around the area where the 1995 Hyogoken-Nambu Earthquake hit, more than 40 reinforced earth structures including root piles and teree armée are available. In this paper, the authors try to estimate performance of reinforced earth structures during earthquake through damage investigation. Also, they try to assess quake-resistance of reinforced earth structure, comparing damage of reinforced and unreinforced slopes. As a conclusion, it is shown that no severely damaged reinforced earth structures are available located even at around severe intensity area, and that reinforcement increases resistance and toughness of slope stability against earthquake.