Masonry walls represent a significant architectural heritage that continues to be prevalent in various regions. Ancient masonry walls are typically constructed using mortar composed of soil and water and are characterised by low adhesion. Presently, research on the factors affecting the stability of low-bond stone masonry walls is still in the preliminary stage and lacks a unified understanding. This study investigates the factors influencing the stability of low-bond stone masonry walls, focusing on the Royal City platform wall at Shimao Site in China. A scaled-down model was constructed based on the actual conditions of the Royal City platform wall, and Schneebeli rods were loaded into the experimental model. This study examines the effects of height-to-width ratio, retaining wall inclination angle, masonry method, and mortar joint strength on wall stability. The results indicate that as the height-to-width ratio and inclination angle of the retaining wall increase, its stability decreases, and the angle between the failure surface and the horizontal direction increases. While the masonry method has a relatively minor influence on wall stability, variations in the mortar joint strength significantly impact the stability of the retaining wall. Based on the experimental results, which revealed two failure modes of overturning and sliding, a stability calculation method for low-bond stone masonry walls was derived using the limit equilibrium method. The proposed method was applied to analyse the Royal City platform wall. The findings provide valuable insights into the restoration and preservation of low-bond stone masonry walls.

The soil's creep characteristics significantly impact both the effectiveness of the support system and the enduring stability of the engineering structure. During construction, dewatering is often carried out, which results in seepage within highly permeable soils. To scrutinize the creep behavior of silty fine sand under seepage conditions, triaxial compression tests and triaxial creep tests were conducted on the silty fine sand, subject to three distinct seepage flow rates: 0.5 ml/min, 1.0 ml/min, and 1.5 ml/min. The test results indicate that seepage reduces the maximum stress capacity of the soil and increases its creep deformation. Particularly under relatively high deviatoric stress and seepage flow rates, the specimens exhibit three stages: transient creep, stationary creep, and acceleration creep. Notably, the axial creep deformation rate shows a positive correlation with both seepage flow rates and deviatoric stress. Concurrently influenced by seepage and creep, fine particles within the specimen accumulate in the central and upper regions, whereas the lower is characterized by larger particles. The progressive increase in pore water pressure, intricately linked to the impeding effect of fine particles on permeation pathways, catalyzes the creep-induced deformation of the specimen. Based on the experimental results, a modified Burgers model has been established. This model takes into account seepage, sliding damage, and particle fragmentation. A comparative analysis, contrasting the modified Burgers model against calculated values derived from the traditional Burgers and Kelvin-Voigt models, underscores the effectiveness of the proposed model. Specifically, the modified Burgers model adeptly captures the transient creep, stationary creep, and acceleration creep stages of silty fine sand, especially under varying seepage flow rates.