Reduced-scale geosynthetics retaining walls: deformation prediction by an expedited method

Reinforcement of earth retaining walls dates back to antiquity, although a considerable evolution has occurred over the past decades. Reinforcement materials have evolved from natural to metal and finally to geosynthetic materials. These materials are extensible and the reinforcement effect develops through the soil–reinforcement interface, which is dependent on the deformation of the wall, the soil and the reinforcing elements. It is important to control deformation in order to avoid functional and structural problems. This paper contributes to the accurate prediction of the deformation of retaining walls reinforced with geosynthetics using data from laboratory-scale physical models. The feasibility of a simple method to calculate the deformation of the face and earth pressures is evaluated from the data of reduced-scale model walls previously tested in a laboratory: a brick-faced wall and a more flexible geotextile-wrapped wall. The calculated horizontal deformation of the face compares well with the physical measurements and, therefore, the proposed method can be taken as a valid and expedited tool to predict the deformation of retaining walls reinforced with geosynthetics.