Effect of surcharge load location on the behavior of cantilever retaining wall

Abstract In this study, the effect of location of surcharge load on the stability and behavior of the retaining wall under static and dynamic load has been considered. A cantilever retaining wall of 7 m height retained dry sandy soil with 50 kN/m2 surcharge load. Several parameters were taken into account in the numerical analysis, including the horizontal distance (X) from the edge of the wall to the surcharge load expressed as a ratio to the heel width (X/Bh = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1), as well as the effect of different values of the earthquake's horizontal component (kh = 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3). Lateral earth pressure distribution decreases with increase (X/B h ) in the upper one third of the wall. The effect of surcharge location at the top of the wall disappears at X/B h = 0.25. Under dynamic load, the maximum displacement at the top of the wall is obtained at X/B h = 0.5. It is increased by about 4 times at k h = 0.3. The possibility of sliding increases by about 4.8 times once the k h increases from 0.1 to 0.3. There is a maximum increase in rotation by 2 times at k h = 0.1. In the dynamic case, the differential settlement decreases with increase in X/B h , and increases with the increase in k h .