Younan-Veletsos retaining wall: The exact solution

Abstract

The assessment of forces exerted on walls by the backfill is a recurrent problem in Geotechnical Engineering, owing to its relevance for both retaining systems and underground structures. In particular, the work by Veletsos and Younan becomes pertinent when considering pressure increments on underground structures triggered by seismic events. These scholars furnished the first satisfactory engineering solution corresponding to a simple configuration, which has become a milestone in the field. This paper presents the exact solution to this reference problem. The solution is given in horizontal wavenumber domain, hence it comes in terms of inverse Fourier transforms, which in turn are verified against finite-element simulations. Specific features of this exact solution that were not captured by prior engineering approximations are highlighted and discussed.