OF THE BEHAVIOR OF FREE-STANDING
This thesis investigates the behavior of free-standing gabion walls in areas of mild seismicity. To investigate this behavior, three walls of varying internal cable patterns were constructed at a quarter-scale. These walls were tested with a mass shaker, and mode shapes, tone extractions, and damping ratios were calculated. A modal analysis was conducted using design spectra created from a suite of seven earthquakes from countries bordering Kenya. The corresponding lateral forces to these spectral displacements were found, and the restoring eccentricities from the soil restoring force were backed out through a summation of moments. All analysis was experimentally done due to the complexity of properly modeling the wall system for a secondary analytical comparison. This process was done under the assumption of linear behavior. Similarly, the criteria for failure involved the eccentricity of the restoring soil force exceeding the kern distance (assuming elastic behavior)—criteria that all three of the wall specimens met. However, further research into the nonlinear behavior of this wall type is suggested for future conclusions on free-standing gabion wall behavior.
Case study of a hybrid gabion basket geosynthetic reinforced soil wall
This paper describes the design and construction of the first hybrid MSE wall for a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) project in the USA that used a combination of rock-filled gabion baskets an...
Chemical resistance of pozzolanic plaster for earthen walls
Abstract Earth is an economical and ancient construction material. Historical earthen architecture is a heritage that must be handed over to the next generations but experience shows that these historical structures do not stand up well against the destructive action of rain. In this study, fly ash, powdered brick, hydrated lime and water were mixed to develop a pozzolanic plaster for use in conservation of earthen walls. Chemical durability, such as sulfate, salt and acid resistance of this pozzolanic plaster also was investigated. The chemical compounds employed in these tests were 2000 and 5000 ppm sodium sulfate and ammonium nitrate solutions for sulfate and salt attack. Also, the acidic media were with 1%, 5% and 10% concentrations of sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid. All test results indicated that incorporation of fly ash in pozzolanic plaster provides a satisfactory resistance to aggressive chemicals such as sulfate, salts and acids. The developed plaster seems to be a suitable material for preservation of earthen walls since it has adequate mechanical and chemical properties in comparison with soil.