Seismic response of high-steep slopes with varying bedrock inclination angles reinforced by anchored sheet-pile walls and frame beams

The paper investigates seismic response of high-steep slopes with varying bedrock inclination angles (BIA), reinforced by anchored sheet-pile walls and frame beams (APFB). Two groups of shaking table tests were conducted under post-rainfall earthquakes conditions. The failure processes, acceleration amplification factor (AAF), dynamic deformation characteristics, and natural frequency of both slopes were systematically analyzed. Numerical simulation was conducted to explore the effect of BIA on slope seismic deformation and mechanical behavior of APFB. The results indicate that AAF of both slopes becomes greater as increase of seismic magnitude and frequency, exhibiting significant “surface effect” and “height effect”. The natural frequency is larger in slopes with higher BIA, indicating enhanced overall stiffness under seismic loading. As BIA increases, pronounced shear stress concentration is observed at the embedded section of pile, and intensified shear stress and earth pressure behind the pile amplify pile deformation and internal forces. Simultaneously, anchor cable forces and the frame beam's bending moment also increase significantly, resulting in a greater load-bearing demand on APFB at the slope toe. The soil-bedrock structure has obvious effect on the slope dynamic deformation: as BIA increases, the slope deformation increases notably and seismic failure of slopes transitions from shallow sliding to overall sliding along soil-bedrock interface.