“COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF COUNTERFORT RETAINING WALL USING A PRESSURE RELIEF SHELVES IN PLACE OF SHEAR KEY FOR A HEIGHT OF 10 M USING STAAD-PRO V8i”

From the theoretical analysis and STAAD.Pro simulations, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1.      Structural Efficiency: The incorporation of pressure relief shelves enhances the structural performance of the counterfort retaining wall by decreasing the effective height of lateral pressure application. This leads to reduced bending moments and lesser reinforcement demand. 2.      Shear Key vs. Pressure Shelf: While shear keys are traditionally used to combat sliding, they do not improve the flexural behavior of the wall. Pressure shelves, by contrast, contribute to both reduced lateral load and improved stress distribution. 3.      Material Optimization: Due to lower internal forces, the pressure shelf design requires relatively less reinforcement and concrete volume in stem and counterforts, suggesting improved material efficiency and potential cost reduction. 4.      Geotechnical Interaction: Pressure relief shelves improve the interaction between the soil and the structure, effectively redistributing active pressures in a more favorable pattern. Software Reliability: STAAD.Pro V8i provided an accurate and convenient platform for simulating real-world behavior, allowing for validation of design assumptions and assessment of wall configurations under different load combinations

[1] K. Terzaghi, Theoretical Soil Mechanics, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1943. [2] J.E. Bowles, Foundation Analysis and Design, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1996. [3] B.M. Das, Principles of Foundation Engineering, 9th ed., Cengage Learning, Boston, 2024. [4] Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 456:2000 – Plain and Reinforced Concrete – Code of Practice, BIS, New Delhi. [5] Bureau of Indian Standards, IS 6403:1981 – Code of Practice for Determination of Bearing Capacity of Shallow Foundations, BIS, New Delhi. [6] Bureau of Indian Standards, SP:16-1980 – Design Aids for Reinforced Concrete to IS 456:1978, BIS, New Delhi. [7] NAVFAC DM-7.02, Foundations and Earth Structures, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, U.S. Department of Defense, 1986. [8] S. Djireb, A. Mabrouki, D. Benmeddour, M. Mekki, Investigation of Active Earth Pressures and Failure Mechanism of Retaining Walls with a Relief Shelf, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2020, Article 50. [9] V.B. Chauhan, D. Murty, Active Earth Pressure on Retaining Wall with a Relief Shelf: A Novel Analytical Method, Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2022, pp. 1–20. [10] Y. Que, X.F. Gui, F.Q. Chen, Active Earth Pressure against Cantilever Retaining Walls with the Long Relief Shelf Rotating about the Bottom, International Journal of Geomechanics, Vol. 22, No. 10, 2022.