A simple closed-form solution for kinematic responses of retaining wall incorporating the effects of shear stiffness of soils

Abstract The seismic behavior of retaining wall is governed by the kinematic soil-retaining wall interaction, which has been described by various methods such as elastic continuum model and Scott model. Due to their over-complexity in the expression or low accuracy, practical applications of such methods are limited. Thus, inherited the simplicity of the Scott model, a concise analytical solution, involving the effect of the shear stiffness of soils, based on the Pasternak model is presented in this technical note to evaluate the kinematic soil-retaining wall interaction. In addition, both the soil spring factor k and shear stiffness factor γ in the proposed model have been demarcated. As compared with the existing literature, a good prediction is achieved in the present model. Besides, the physical mechanisms underlying kinematic soil-wall interaction are detailed elaborated by carrying out a group of parametric studies regarding the effects of kinematic soil-retaining wall interaction. The results emphasize that the soil shear stiffness significantly influence the kinematic behaviors of retaining wall so that it is a critical element in the seismic design of retaining wall.