Development and Validation of a Seismic Design Method for Anchored Retaining Walls

Retaining walls with multiple anchor levels are widely used as permanent excavation support systems for the construction of linear infrastructures. Yet, their seismic behaviour remains largely unexplored, and current design approaches rely on conventional procedures that do not adequately reflect the actual dynamic response of these systems. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a rational framework for the seismic design of multi-anchored retaining walls based on a reliable prediction of their dynamic performance. A high-fidelity numerical benchmark is first developed, consisting of a series of nonlinear dynamic analyses of a case study carried out using the OpenSees finite element framework. The resulting response is then reproduced using a practice-oriented model with a clear physical basis and negligible computational cost. The comparison shows that the simplified method is able to capture the seismic response of the retaining structure with reasonable accuracy, while providing useful insight into the governing dynamic mechanisms. The robustness of the approach is further supported by its successful application to a second, independent case study. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed simplified method represents a promising tool for the seismic design of multi-anchored retaining structures.