Due to the global warming, the weather conditions around the globe are becoming extreme. The direct consequence of the temperature increase due to the global warming is an increase in the occurrence of heavy rainfall. As the performance of a geo-structure is heavily affected by the rate and amount of precipitation, geoengineers should pay attention to the issue of global warming.This paper first reviews the issues related to global warming. The recent climate characteristics of Korean peninsula and related geo-disasters are then presented. The results of a numerical investigation into the effect of rainfall on the performance of a reinforced earth wall are also presnted based on a series of limit-equilibrium based slope stability analyses and the stress-pore pressure coupled finite element analysis.Using the results, the effect of rainfall on the geosynthetic reinforced wall was examined in terms of the time variation of global factor of safety and the wall performance including lateral wall displacements and reinforcement loads. The results indicate that a geosynthetic reinforced soil wall backfilled with a low quality soil can undergo significant increases in the wall displacement and the reinforcement loads during rainfall. The role of matric suction within the reinforced zone is highlighted. Practical implications are also discussed.
Menu