The upper bound theorem of limit analysis is employed to investigate the effect of pre-existing cracks on the design length and distribution of geosynthetic layers in reinforced soil slopes. Two reinforcement layouts are used: uniform and linearly increasing distribution along the slope height. Compound failure mode involving pullout in some layers and tension failure (rupture) in others are considered. Results show that slopes with pre-existing cracks require longer reinforcement layers than intact ones. It emerges that for both intact and fissured slopes, a linearly increasing distribution of reinforcement yields better results than a uniform one.
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