A numerical investigation into the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced soil segmental retaining walls

Geosynthetic-reinforced soil segmental retaining walls are now an economical solution. The design of these structures is carried out according to the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials or the Federal Highway Administration design guidelines, which are based on the limit equilibrium approach. Many experimental, analytical, and numerical studies have identified several sources of conservatism in these design guidelines. This article focuses on a numerical study undertaken using the finite difference code Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in 3 Dimensions (FLAC3D), to investigate the influence of facing batter angle, soil/facing interface friction angle, and backslope angle on the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced soil segmental retaining walls. The numerical results show that the design guidelines lead to overly conservative design where the soil/facing interface is rough and/or the backslope is present.

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