Numerical study on stability and deformation of retaining wall according to groundwater drawdown

In this study, the ground settlement in backside of retaining wall and the behavior of the retaining wall were analyzed according to the method of groundwater drawdown due to excavation by using two-dimensional(2D) finite element analysis. Numerical analysis was performed by applying 1) fixed groundwater level, 2) constant groundwater drawdown, and 3) transient groundwater drawdown. In addition, the behavior of the retaining wall according to the initial groundwater level, ground conditions, and surcharge pressure in backside of retaining wall was evaluated. Based on the numerical analysis results, it was confirmed that when the groundwater level is at 0.1H from the ground surface (H: Excavation soil height), the wall displacement and ground settlement are not affected by the method of groundwater drawdown, regardless of soil conditions (dense or loose) and surcharge pressure. On the other hand, when the groundwater level is at 0.5H from the ground surface, the method of groundwater drawdown was found to have a significant effect on wall displacement and ground settlement. In this case, the difference in ground settlement presents by up to 4 times depending on the method of groundwater drawdown, and the surcharge load could increase the ground settlement by up to 1.5 times.