Abstract: In order to further study the soil arching behind the sheet-pile wall and analyze the earth pressure load regulation and transmission characteristic, the field large-sized test and indoor model test are carried out by monitoring research. In addition, the test results can further reveal the regularities about soil arching and load distribution. Based on the comprehension of the action mechanism about the soil arching structure, the ratio between the earth pressure on the back side of pile and pressure on the breast board is regarded as a standard which is used to assess the arching. A test model box is designed and constructed in order to load behind sheet-pile wall at a rock slope. The earth pressure cells are fixed on the dorsal surfaces of sheet and piles to test the earth pressure during future 21 days. The test results show that the earth pressure ratio increases firstly and then tends to be stable as the development of time; therefore, the time effect is relatively obvious. In addition, multiple test conditions are also designed and done to make further analysis about the relationship between the soil arching and transfer behavior of earth pressure behind sheet-pile wall. The comparative researches are done about different baffle rigidities, pile spacings, filler properties and arrangement effects of sheets, which explains the transfer behavior of load behind sheet-pile wall in the passive soil pressure state.

Key words: sheet-pile wall, soil arching, earth pressure, time effect, transfer behavior