Vibratory compaction load effects on MSE walls

This paper presents the behavior of MSE walls under a localized vibratory roller compactor load in full scale model tests and the results of numerical simulation of these tests. Two full scale tests were only different in the flexibility of the facing elements (with full rigid or full flexible face). The effect of the vibratory plate compactor used during the backfill construction step to compact the soil layers is also considered in this study. A number of different strategies are available to simulate placement and compaction of soil layers; a single load-unload stress cycle and two equal distributed loads in top and bottom of each soil layer. The results of numerical analysis (Plaxis 2D) were compared with the full-scale test results in which the vertical and horizontal earth pressures, strains on reinforcement layers and consequently maximum tensile force on reinforcement layers were measured. Both in the tests and in the numerical analysis, the compaction has a significant effect on the magnitude of construction-induced horizontal earth pressure of MSE walls. In both the experimental tests and the numerical analysis, a big difference was found between the lateral earth pressure coefficient compared with the calculated Rankine at-rest and active earth pressure coefficients