Analysis of Retaining Walls Subjected to Concentrated Loads

Abstract

Structural analysis of reinforced concrete retaining walls is commonly performed on a two-dimensional model. This approach is suitable only when the applied loads are evenly distributed over the wall length. In cases of concentrated loads (e.g. vehicle impact), two-dimensional modelling brings highly distorted results in comparison to the more realistic three-dimensional modelling. This article presents a study on how wall height and load position affect the result distortion, comparing the outcomes of two-and three-dimensional modelling. The peak value of bending moment was chosen to be the parameter used for the comparison. The error due to the use of two-dimensional model for concentrated loads was quantified. The conclusion of the study is a proposal of correction coefficients that can be applied to the results of two-dimensional analysis, in order to acquire results of equal precision as these from three-dimensional analysis.