This award is made according to the provisions in AD/ENG Bulletin No. 85-25, "Expedited Awards for Novel Research". Many tieback walls (the walls are tied or anchored by rods or cables to the adjacent soil) have been constructed in seismically active areas of the world. However there is no generally accepted method of seismic analysis and design for this type of retaining structure. This research project considers the case where the walls are tied with pressure-grouted anchors. It is generally recognized that anchors installed with grout pressure have significantly higher anchoring capacity than those installed without grout pressure. While the reason for the higher capacity is not well defined, there are several possible explanations for the increase. Depending upon the actual cause, the effect of earthquake ground shaking can lead to a loss in strength of the anchor. The decrease in anchor capacity may vary from insignificant to a critical loss of capacity leading to failure of the wall. This research project will investigate the cause of the increased capacity of pressure grouted anchors, as well as the effect of seismic ground shaking upon this increased capacity.
