Pile-sheet wall systems are widely used to stabilize slopes in seismic mountainous regions, but their performance is often limited by the brittle behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) and insufficient structural restraint during strong earthquakes. This study investigates a combined improvement strategy using engineered cementitious composites (ECC) and anchor cables to enhance the seismic behavior of pile-sheet wall supported slopes. Two shaking table tests were conducted on slopes reinforced with ECC and RC based anchored sheet-pile wall systems under increasing seismic intensities. Acceleration response, dynamic earth pressure, bending moments of anti-slide piles, and residual displacement were measured and compared to clarify the reinforcement mechanisms. The results show that replacing RC with ECC reduced acceleration amplification, restrained crack development, and delayed stiffness degradation. The addition of anchor cables altered load transfer, reduced bending demand at pile bases, and effectively controlled permanent deformation. Comparisons with unanchored systems indicate that anchors mainly govern deformation control, while ECC primarily improves damage resistance and deformation compatibility. The findings demonstrate that combining material and structural optimization is an effective approach for improving the seismic reliability of slope-support systems in complex terrain.
Wang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.