Seismic damage of earth structures of road engineering in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

To understand the mechanism of the earth structure damage, a wide range of investigations along roads in seismic hazard areas have been carried out after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In this paper, the results from 41 roads investigated are presented, and the 41 roads are located in 7–11 intensity zones and consist of rural/county roads, province roads and state roads in Sichuan province. According to the investigation, the types of damaged slopes and retaining walls are classified and statistical analyses are performed. In the statistical analyses, various impact factors to seismic slope and retaining wall damage were studied, such as slope inclination, height of slope and retaining wall, site conditions, and seismic intensity. In addition, some relationships were developed, including the quantity of damaged slopes with slope inclination and height, the angle between route and fault rupture directions, and site conditions. Finally, some reasonable suggestions are put forward on the designs and constructions of slopes and retaining walls when they are subject to seismic activity.