Verification of gravity retaining walls in accordance with the seismic legislation
The geotechnical engineer is often looking for safety solutions for gravity retaining walls that are already in place, while also respecting the current seismic regulation (NTC 2008). The article demonstrates how the replacement of part of the backfill material with expanded clay, can be a winning solution. By using expanded clay we can reduce the pressure that the ground exerts on the retaining wall, prevents the build-up of pressure caused by water and allows structural verification even if the work is carried out in areas of high seismicity, as it significantly reduces the pseudo-static pressure. This one, in case of an earthquake, would load on the structure.