Analysis, design and modelling of geosynthetic reinforced soil walls

摘要

The paper reviews complimentary research programs carried out by the writer and coworkers that focus on the analysis, design and modelling of geosynthetic reinforced soil walls. Data from instrumented field walls and laboratory tests that have been used to guide understanding of the performance of reinforced soil wall systems are discussed. A comparison of design outcomes for a production wall using conventional and stiffness method approaches is presented. The contribution of advanced numerical modelling is demonstrated using practical constitutive models for the component soil, polymeric materials and their interactions. The paper reviews a novel experimental technique using a pullout box with transparent granular soil and a typical geogrid that has been used to provide quantitative insight into soil-geogrid interaction mechanisms and to develop interface shear models for numerical simulation. The lessons learned from these studies have identified important practical issues and challenges, and provided insight into the performance of these complex systems.