Numerical Study of a Quay Wall Anchored by an Anchor Plate Backfilled with a Mixture of Sand and Recycled Waste

Abstract

The ideal backfill materials are granular stone, gravel, clean sand with a small percentage of fines. Such material is durable, strong, and allows for free flow. Due to the depletion of available natural materials, industrial waste (used tire chips) and natural fibber will be mixed with the sand to form a reinforced backfill that can be applied as fill for mechanically stabilized earth walls and bridge abutments. In order to study the effects of adding these materials in different percentages to the backfill of a quay wall anchored by anchor plates, A numerical study is carried out using PLAXIS 2D software to check the stability of the quay wall anchored by anchor plate (sheet piling) to confirm the usefulness  A the new backfill based on sand and tire shavings or sand and glass fibers and polymer. The results of the numerical study revealed that the composite reinforcement based on sand and tire chips or fiberglass can improve the behavior of the quay wall by decrease in horizontal and vertical movements.