Material Characteristics and Stability Analysis of Gravity Stone Walls

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the structural performance of an existing earth retaining structure based on different methods of stability analysis. This study also helps to determine the accuracy in the quantification of selected materials' strength for the structure. To this end, the entire process is illustrated using a case study from a retaining wall consisting of stone and mortar. First, within this scope, representative mortar samples were gathered from different parts of the stone wall to identify material characteristics, and samples obtained from boreholes and test pits were analyzed in a laboratory to identify the parameters of the soil on which the structure was located. Secondly, various approaches were applied to identify the compressive strength and the Young's modulus of the wall. In the final step, stability analysis was performed by the finite element method on the most critical section of the existing stone wall based on data from the former stages. Therefore, as a result of the study, a suitable approach was presented for determining the strength of a wall consisting of stone and mortar, which is effective in assessing the structural behavior of a retaining wall. The study is meant to serve as an important tool consisting of all the necessary stages for assessing an existing retaining structure as well as for designing new structures.