Abstract: On the basis of test studies of performance of geogrid-reinforced retaining walls subjected to load from strip foundation at the top surface of wall, the comprehensive effects of distance between panel and strip foundation on the ultimate bearing capacity, deformation characteristics, reinforcement strains and failure mode of retaining wall were analyzed. The experiment results show that ultimate bearing capacity of strip foundation exhibits a remarkable increase tendency with increase of (D, offset and H, height of retaining wall) before reaching at 0.3, and maximum ultimate bearing capacity can be obtained when 0.3, which is followed by a significant decrease with continuing increase of . Before reinforced retaining walls failing, the ratios of settlement of foundation and height of wall are less than 2%; and the ratios of horizontal deformation of panel and height of wall are less than 1%; moreover, horizontal deformations at the top of walls are significantly greater than the deformation in the middle and at the bottom of walls while is less than 0.6. Additionally, the maximum strains of reinforcement happen to the positions where being away from panel with the increase of ; and the maximum values of strains will occur at the top layer of reinforcement and then shift to the middle layers. Lastly, three main failure modes of retaining walls, shallow failure with blocks at the top of walls squeezed out, failure surface occurring at the verge of foundation developed deeper and global failure of retaining walls, are presented.

Key words: reinforced retaining wall, strip foundation, model test, offset distance, ultimate bearing capacity