NUMERICAL MODELLING OF GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCED RETAINING WALL

Abstract

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall is a distinctive structure which is used extensively in the recent days. Generally, there are various types of soil reinforcement can be used in mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall. Steel strip, welded steel grid, wire mesh, geotextiles, and geotextile sheets are examples of modern soil-reinforcing elements. The adoptionof a facing system minimizes soil erosion between reinforcing parts and enables for the safe construction of steep slopes and steep walls. Since the early 1970s, geosynthetic materials are produced and then used as reinforcement material in soil retaining structures. Geosynthetics have been increasingly popular in reinforced soil constructions, and they currently account for a considerable percentage of reinforced soil industry. Technological advances in the polymer sector have been regularly comprised into new geosynthetic products, improving the qualities of geosynthetic materials used in geotechnical applications. Geotextile is one of the main products of geosynthetic materials. Reinforced soil walls are composite structures made up of reinforcement and compacted backfill. The present study focuses on the behaviour of geotextile in Mechanically Stabilized retaining wall. The horizontal deflection, vertical deflection and influence of spacing of geotextile are studied. The geotextiles are applied into varying height of wall too. The stability of this composite system is imparted by the friction between the reinforcement and backfill and tension in the reinforcement. They have been proven to be a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for the conventional masonry and concrete retaining walls. The length of geotextile and the surcharge load are taken constant and comparison has been drawn between with and without geotextile structure. Significant improvement of stability of structure is shown after application of geotextile. The combination of geotextile and soil effectively enhances the overall stability of the retaining wall structure.