Factors Affecting the Stability and Behavior of an MSE Wall: A Numerical Approach
Publication: Geo-Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls are a very common type of retaining structure in the recent world. Many countries use them to stabilize highway slopes and hill slopes or vulnerable soil masses. In this study, numerical analysis on the construction of an MSE wall located in Abilene, Texas, has been carried out. The backfill is reinforced with geogrids. Finite-Element Method (FEM) based software PLAXIS 2D is used for numerical modeling. The objective of the study is to analyze the effects of various geogrid parameters on the overall stability and performance of the wall. Two design parameters namely, the factor of safety and wall deflection were considered for the evaluation. The effects of geogrid spacing, length and strength, and friction angle of the backfill soil have been investigated on the performance of the MSE wall. It was observed that the factor of safety increased with the increase in strength and length of geogrids. A significant decrease in displacement was observed for an increase in geogrid length to wall height ratio from 0.5 to 0.7. Moreover, with the increment of vertical spacing of geogrid, the horizontal wall deflection decreased. Finally, three optimum design combinations are proposed which can be helpful for the engineers by providing them a suitable starting point for the design of an MSE wall.
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Geo-Congress 2022
Pages: 375 - 385
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Published online: Mar 17, 2022
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