Dynamic response characteristics of shaking table model tests on the gabion reinforced retaining wall slope under seismic action.

In the present study, a series of shaking table model tests were performed on a slope with a gabion reinforced retaining wall. Transfer functions were employed to compute the inherent frequencies of the slope. Furthermore, the investigation examined various aspects of the slope, including the peak acceleration amplification factor, incremental dynamic stresses, displacements, and tensile forces. Additionally, the study employed the Hilbert Huang transform (HHT) to analyze the slope's time-frequency characteristics and energy distribution. The findings of the study revealed that there is an inverse relationship between the amplitude of the input seismic wave and the natural frequency of the top of the gabion reinforced retaining wall slope. As the amplitude of the seismic wave increases, the natural frequency of the slope decreases. The amplification factors for peak acceleration were all found to be less than 1.9, suggesting a notable dissipation of seismic energy in comparison to typical slopes. The response of incremental dynamic stress was most pronounced in the middle section of the slope, followed by the top of the slope. The magnitude of the incremental displacement was found to be highest at layer 4, whereas the incremental tensile force exhibited its maximum value at layer 5. The dynamic response exhibited the least pronounced characteristics at the lower portion of the slope, demonstrating the most stable behavior. The peak frequencies observed in the Hilbert marginal spectrum displayed comparable characteristics to the natural frequencies. • Large-scale shaking table tests were conducted on the stepped gabion reinforced retaining wall slope. • The natural frequency, damping ratio, and dynamic shear modulus were used to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the gabion reinforced retaining wall slope under seismic action. • The energy dissipation mechanism of the gabion reinforced retaining wall slope was investigated by peak acceleration amplification factor, dynamic stress increment, displacement increment and tension increment. • The time-frequency domain and energy perspective of the gabion reinforced retaining wall slope under seismic action was analyzed by using HHT, and the damage evolution mechanism inside the slope when the amplitude of input seismic wave increases is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]