Reinforcement placement on mechanics and deformation of stepped reinforced retaining wall experimental study of characteristics

Abstract Three sets of indoor model tests of reinforced retaining walls were conducted to study the effects of reinforcing material placement on the displacement of reinforced retaining walls, wall top settlement, earth pressure distribution, and potential failure surface. The test results show that under different reinforcement laying conditions, the maximum horizontal displacement of the lower wall panel appears at the top of the lower retaining wall, and the maximum horizontal displacement of the upper wall panel appears at 0.6H. The settlement of the top of the wall decreases by about 9.1% when the reinforcement is laid in the lower layer. Under the condition of 160 kPa, the maximum horizontal and vertical earth pressures increase by about 19.2 and 12.4%, respectively, and the position of the potential fracture surface of the lower wall moves up to the back of the wall with the position of the reinforcement laying. When the reinforcement is laid in the upper layer, the fracture surface of the upper wall is furthest away from the panel.