The paper titled "Effects of EPS Geofoam Cushion Density on the Seismic Behavior of Retaining Walls", prepared by Research Assistant Bilge Sultan Demirtaş from the Department of Civil Engineering in collaboration with her thesis advisor, was presented at the 10th National Geosynthetics Conference (G10), hosted by Boğaziçi University on May 29–30, 2025.
The study investigates the effects of different densities of EPS geofoam cushions, which are used to enhance the seismic safety of retaining walls in earthquake-prone areas. With its low unit weight and high vibration damping capacity, EPS geofoam stands out as a promising alternative to traditional backfill materials, offering improved seismic performance for retaining walls.
In this context, shake table tests were conducted on a 1:25 scale model of a retaining wall to experimentally examine the impact of EPS geofoam cushion density. The results showed that increasing the cushion density significantly improved the wall’s seismic performance.
We congratulate Research Assistant Bilge Sultan Demirtaş on this valuable scientific contribution and wish her continued success in her academic career.
