| Two full-scale reinforced segmental retaining walls (SRWs) were tested in the RMC Retaining Wall Test Facility. These geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls correspond to Walls 7 and 8 of an ongoing long-term research program. Both walls were constructed with dry-stacked solid modular concrete facing units, a sand backfill and a weak polypropylene geogrid. The walls measured 3.6m in height, 3.3m in length and the backfill soil extended up to 6m behind the facing. Wall 7 was constructed with a facing batter of 8 degrees from the vertical and 11 layers of reinforcement while Wall 8 was constructed with a 25-degree batter and 6 layers of reinforcement.; The walls were instrumented to record facing deflections, toe loads, reinforcement displacements and strains, reinforcement connection loads, earth pressures, and soil settlements. After construction, the walls were subjected to staged uniform surcharge loading. The walls were surcharged to stress levels well beyond normal working load conditions.; The quantitative performance of the walls is compared to previous walls in the long-term research program to identify the influence of reinforcement spacing and wall facing batter on wall behaviour at end of construction and during surcharging.; Implications of the results reported in this investigation to current wall design methods are made. Examples are provided to quantitatively identify the under-prediction of wall capacity under surcharging using current Coulomb-based tie-back wedge methods of analysis. |
