Experimental Exploration of Performance of “Prestressed” Geosynthetic-Reinforced Sheet Pile Retaining Wall
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The sheet pile wall, a widely used retaining structure in railway construction, faces limitations such as restricted height, construction difficulties, and high costs. While geosynthetic-reinforced soil technology enhances soil tensile strength, it often lacks sufficient stiffness and strength. To address these issues, this study proposes a “prestressed” geosynthetic-reinforced sheet pile retaining wall structure. The geosynthetic-reinforced soil was subjected to preloading to induce “prestress”, with enhanced soil reinforcement interaction improving load-bearing capacity, reducing horizontal displacement, and ensuring railway safety. Indoor model tests were conducted on sandy soil foundations to investigate the structure’s load settlement behavior, pile horizontal displacement, earth pressure distribution, pile bending moments, and reinforcement strain development. The results show that applying “prestress” significantly enhances soil reinforcement interaction, enabling the pile–slab wall to better retain soil and improve overall performance. The load-bearing capacity increased by 21.7% and 16.6% in two respective tests, while horizontal displacement was effectively reduced. The maximum earth pressure was observed on the right side of the pile, 20 cm above the base, and the maximum bending moment occurred in the anchored section. Prestressing also enhanced the utilization of the tensile reinforcement. The proposed structure offers a promising approach for optimizing railway retaining structures.
Source: Buildings
Authors: Yong Liu, Tengfei Yan, Xinning Tan, Zhilong Shi, Kaiwen Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
Award: G1249700571
OpenAlex ID: W4409409017