Effect of in-tire backfill material weights on the seismic performance of geogrid-wrapped tire-faced retaining walls

Abstract

Geogrid-wrapped tire-faced retaining walls represent a new type of flexible retaining wall structure designed to recycle waste tire resources. To investigate the influence of in-tire backfill material weights on the seismic performance of geogrid-wrapped tire-faced retaining walls, sandy soil, walnut particles, waste gravel, and steel slag were selected as in-tire backfill materials for a shaking table test, based on the dynamic similarity ratio between soil and structure. The test aimed to examine accelerations under varying seismic load intensities, lateral residual displacements of the walls, vertical settlements of the backfill materials, and displacement thresholds for geogrid-wrapped tire-faced retaining walls, in accordance with a three-level fortification standard. Engineering design recommendations were provided for different in-tire backfill materials, incorporating the displacement-based three level fortification standards. As the weight of the in-tire backfill material increases, the seismic performance of the geogrid-wrapped tire-faced retaining walls improves, with wall deformation transitioning from a “bulging” pattern to a more stable deformation. Additionally, the rupture surface location, indicated by the geogrid strains, shifts backward, aligning with the results of commonly used rupture surface calculations.