INVESTIGATION ON STATIC STABILITY OF SHEET PILE QUAY WALL IMPROVED BY CEMENT TREATED SEA-SIDE GROUND FROM CENTRIFUGE MODEL TESTS

The static stability of sheet pile quay walls on a thick clay deposit against horizontal loads was studied through a series of centrifuge model tests. In the tests, an overconsolidated Kaolin clay layer was prepared over a layer of dense Toyoura sand in a rectangular container. The model quay wall was set to the bottom of the sand layer. The sea-side area adjacent to the quay wall was improved with cement-treated Kawasaki clay. Under 50 g centrifugal acceleration, the clay deposit was consolidated and horizontal line loads of about 0 to 70 kN/m were applied to the quay wall. The width and the depth of the improved area were varied and its performance was compared with that of a quay wall embedded in unimproved ground. Results of the study indicated that the improved ground provided significant resistance against horizontal loading. In addition, a numerical model to estimate the mechanical behavior of the sheet pile quay wall is presented. The outcomes of the numerical model show good agreement with the centrifuge test results.