GEOSYNTHETIC-REINFORCED SOIL WALL DESIGN

A number of diverse methods are available for the design of geosynthet ic-reinforced soil walls. The various methods yield widely varying res ults. This study involved reviewing six published design methods, comp aring design concepts; comparing the results of designs for various wa ll heights and geometries using each of the methods, and comparing two case histories of test walls which were tested to failure with the re sults predicted by each of the methods. It was found that the differen ces in the design results stem primarily from a significant disparity in defining allowable reinforcement strength and safety factors, and t o a lesser degree, from discrepancies among the methods of analysis.