Application of ultra-high gravity wall in high fill slope engineering on karst developed foundation

This paper presents a high fill slope solution for the steep and karst-developed terrain at the southern end west side of Wulong Airport in Chongqing, where a combination of high embankment and ultra-high counterweight retaining wall was adopted. The foundation of the gravity wall consists of three karst areas, which accounts for more than 45% of the total area. These karst areas are fully filled and have a maximum depth exceeding 30 m, making them typical examples of special and complex foundations. To address challenges such as strong non-uniformity, low bearing capacity, and instability of slopes and retaining walls in karstic foundations, a solution involving excavation to a certain depth in the karst and backfilling with concrete was adopted. Through theoretical calculations, this paper comprehensively analyzes the failure modes, stability, stress and deformation of the high slope and retaining wall with varying concrete replacement depths, ultimately determining a suitable replacement depth. The research results show that the adoption of a certain depth of replacement can effectively improve the non-uniformity of karst foundations, reduce stress concentration on the retaining wall, decrease deformation of the retaining wall and high embankment, and significantly enhance the stability of the retaining wall and slope. Field monitoring indicates that the horizontal and vertical displacements of the high retaining wall and slope after construction are both less than 4 mm, and the deformation curve converges, demonstrating their good stability. The research findings have important reference significance for the planning, design, and construction of high-fill slope projects in complex mountainous areas.