Integrated Study of Reinforced Earth–I: Theoretical Formulation

A theoretical characterization of reinforced earth as a composite material with associated composite properties is presented, and the incorporation of the composite model into a standard finite element analysis is described. A unit cell concept is utilized to develop composite stress-strain relationship subject to a number of simplifying assumptions. The validity of the composite characterization is assessed by comparing the solution of a typical wall using the composite concept and a representation of the soil and strips as an assemblage of elasticity and beam elements. The study indicated that the composite characterization economically and effectively captures the essential peak response characteristics in the strips and soil.