Numerical study on the pseudostatic seismic stability of geosynthetic-reinforced soil segmental walls

This paper investigates the performance of GRS walls subjected to pseudo-static seismic loading using two-dimensional numerical analysis. A series of numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the influence of varying horizontal seismic coefficients on GRS wall behaviour. The findings reveal that increasing the seismic coefficient decreases wall stability, as indicated by higher lateral displacement of the facing blocks. Higher seismic forces alter the orientation of the failure plane, reducing the effective embedment length of the reinforcement and further compromising GRS wall stability. The failure mode of the GRS wall shifts from bulging to rotation as the seismic force intensifies. The strain and mobilized force in the reinforcements increased significantly with increased seismic loading, with the maximum magnification in the reinforcement force observed at the top reinforcement layer. The influence of reinforcement stiffness, length and vertical spacing on the facing displacement is analyzed through parametric studies. Extending the length of reinforcement layers at the top proved to be the most effective method to reduce the facing displacements at higher seismic intensities. At lower seismic intensities, increasing the stiffness and reducing the vertical spacing of the reinforcement was found to be more beneficial.