Structural Behavior of a Pile Framed Tie Back Retaining Wall

The objective of this research study is to analyze the preliminary structural behavior of a pile framed tie back retaining wall concept created by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Instrumentation is used to measure the forces and moments on the steel piles, loads on the anchors, and the pressure and displacement of the retained soil over time. Data collection for steel pile analysis consisted of the comparison of strain gage readings. Stress values were calculated from the readings and reduced down to an axial and bending force along the pile. Soil pressures that built up behind the wall were also evaluated over time by comparing gage readings and then calculating a pressure value. Preliminary results confirmed assumptions of rigid conditions of the retaining wall and negligible movement of the retained soil.