Abstract: According to the fundamental theory of upper bound theorem of plastic limit analysis and strength reduction technique based on pseudo-static method, the upper bound solution of the horizontal yield acceleration coefficient of slope stabilized by sheet-pile retaining wall, and two-step anchored bolt retaining wall is deduced rigorously. The critical values of the horizontal yield acceleration of multistage retaining high slopes with different heights of multistage retaining structures, the width of slope plain stages, soil shear strength reduction coefficient, the empirical coefficient of earth pressure along pile, the angle of anchored bolt retaining wall, the pretension force and angle of anchor rod are calculated. The influence factors sensibility sequences of the horizontal yield acceleration coefficient of the bedrock and overburden layer slope under earthquake loading are listed using the orthogonal experiment method. The study indicates that two factors such as the height of multistage retaining structure, and the pretension force of anchor rod are the key factors that influencing the sensitivity of the horizontal yield acceleration coefficient of the multistage retaining slope; but the sensitivities of three factors including the angle of anchor rod, the empirical coefficient of earth pressure along pile, and the width of slope plain stage are relatively small. Moreover, the parameters such as the angle of anchor rod, the angle of anchored bolt retaining wall, the width of slope plain stage, the resistance of sheet-pile retaining wall, the selection of earth pressure distribution type along pile, and cohesion among the shear strength parameters have little effect on the horizontal yield acceleration coefficient; but the internal friction angle has a great influence on it.

Key words: multistage retained slope, yield acceleration, sensibility analysis, upper bound theorem, pseudo-static method