Experimental and numerical study of the behavior of a reinforced-earth wall subjected to a local load

The mechanical response of earth structures reinforced with steel strips to loads associated with rail traffic is not well known. In order to better understand the deformations induced by train loads, and to improve design methods, a full-scale structure was built, instrumented, and tested near Rouen, France. Finite-element analyses were performed both in plane-strain and three-dimensional conditions, using different approaches to account for the interaction between the strips and the backfill material. After calibration of the soil-strip interface parameters for a load of 90 kN, simulations of the wall response to a load of 850 kN provided results in good agreement with measurements. Numerical models showed that the soil-strip interface parameters have a major influence on the predicted behavior. The proposed approach could be used for further studies of the influence of geometric and mechanical parameters.