Title: Stability Analysis of Reinforced Soil Structures Using Rigid Plastic Finite Element Method
Abstract: The development of internal force in the reinforcement material as well as in the panel facing and their effect in the limiting equillibrium state of soil mass has been studied using rigid plastic finite element method. This research computes the axial force in reinforcing material as well as bearing capacity/factor of safety, velocity vectors and stress distribution simultaneously. Meanwhile, the mechanism of soil reinforcement is modeled by no length change condition that should be a kind of constraint condition imposed upon the plastic flow of soil skeleton at limiting equillibrium state. The computed factor of safety shows that the reinforcement is more effective in c-ϕ material than purely cohesive soil. The effect of rigidity of panel facing is also clearly explained with the help of the axial and shear force developed in the facing.