POWRE: Pilot Study to Estimate Lateral Earth Pressures on Retaining Walls Due to Highway Live Loads

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9870390 Chang A pilot study is supported under the POWRE program. Its purpose is twofold: (1) to instrument a retaining wall to estimate lateral earth pressures due to highway live loads and (2) to develop the investigator's abilities in the areas of geotechnical field instrumentation and analysis of field data. The purpose of the instrumentation array is to collect data on the increase in lateral earth pressure and the response of a retaining wall due to passing trucks. At present, there is little field data to corroborate the recommended procedures prescribed in the 1994 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and the 1996 AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges which are based on analytical work and elastic theory. This pilot study will provide a rare case history for comparison to current analytical results and test the validity of the current AASHTO specifications. In addition, an analytical model of the instrumented wall will be developed. This project will provide the investigator with the opportunity to expand her expertise into new areas. The previous and current work of the investigator has been primarily analytical, focusing on the engineering implications of earthquake ground motions and seismic site response. The project will also provide her with the opportunity to work with new partners at the Washington State Department of Transportation and at other educational institutions. ***