Influence of Wall Flexibility on Seismic Earth Pressures in Vertically Homogeneous Soil

Abstract

Solutions are formulated for seismic earth pressures acting on vertical flexible walls with the top and bottom constrained by discrete elastic stiffness elements (top constraint representing a structural constraint, bottom constraint representing foundation stiffness). Solutions are formulated using the Winkler assumption and correspond to shear waves propagating vertically through homogeneous soil. Earth pressures decrease as wall flexibility increases. Rotational and translation constraints at the top and bottom of the wall also contribute to mobilization of seismic earth pressures. Current standard-of-practice procedures are based on limit analysis methods that do not consider the influence of frequency, wall flexibility, structural constraints, or soilstructure interaction (SSI) in general. The proposed approach is more robust because wave propagation effects are considered and seismic earth pressures result from the product of relative wall-soil displacements and stiffness at the wall-soil interface.