Influence of different construction methods on full-height precast facing reinforced soil walls

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech (UPC), Spain
² VSL Construction Systems, Barcelona, Spain
³ International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Barcelona, Spain

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Reinforced soil walls (RSW) have been extensively employed worldwide for many decades, showcasing their efficacy and versatility in diverse geotechnical contexts. The field of RSW is constantly advancing, propelled by ongoing research and significant advancements in design and construction methods. The inherent complexity of soil-structure interaction behaviour poses significant challenges for researchers investigating RSW systems. Among these, the wall-facing system is pivotal to performance outcomes. This study focuses on full-height precast concrete wall facings by applying numerical simulations to investigate the impact of construction techniques on the performance of the facing toe as well as facing/foundation relationship. The numerical evaluation is performed by altering construction and design features from actual site conditions and common practice and assess their influence on the deformation of the RSW system, particularly, on the full-height facing panels component. The findings demonstrate that the configuration of the facing toe has a substantial impact on the overall performance of the facing. Differences in connection design result in distinct deformation patterns, underscoring the significance of thorough design of connection approaches. These findings can provide useful insights for improving the design and construction of RSW structures, especially those that use full-height precast concrete facing panels.