Numerical Analysis to Investigate the Static and Dynamic Performance of GRS Bridge Abutments

This research study involves two numerical models representing the realistic field conditions of GRS bridge abutments to investigate the static and dynamic response of these structures. The accuracy of the simulation was assessed first against the results of instrumented and monitored GRS systems in static condition and then was evaluated in dynamic analysis under harmonic base acceleration up to 0.4 g. To capture the wall behavior accurately during construction, the numerical simulation was developed within several steps, including placement of the facing blocks following by the backfill soil layer-by-layer, representing the bottom-up construction stages. The numerical analysis was found to give reasonably accurate prediction of the experimental results at both the end of construction and after the dynamic load was applied.