Nonlinear Failure Surface and Pseudodynamic Passive Resistance of a Battered-Faced Retaining Wall Supporting c-Φ Backfill

In the present analysis, a methodology is developed to calculate the pseudodynamic passive resistance on the back of a battered-faced retaining wall supporting cohesive-frictional backfill using the horizontal slice method and limit-equilibrium principle. The results are presented in both tabular and graphical nondimensional form. The analysis identifies a nonlinear rupture surface that depends on the wall-backfill parameters. The effects of wide variations in the parameters, such as the wall inclination angle (a), wall friction angle (5), soil friction angle (Phi), shear-wave velocity (Vs), primary wave velocity (V-p), and horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations (k(h), k(v)) on the seismic passive resistance coefficients have been studied. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.