Case studies of geosynthetic reinforced earth structure failures

This paper collected eleven cases of failure for geosynthetic reinforced earth structures (RES) in northern Taiwan. Qualitative forensic studies were conducted to explore the causes of the structure failures. The results of the research indicated that intense rainfall was the primary natural influence causing the RES failure. Incorrect engineering practices also were relevant in the failure of RES. However, inadequate planning and poor construction workmanship were the most important causes. In addition, the study also showed that the RES failures were due to a lack of essential trainings on traditional slope stability analysis instead of deficient RES know-how. Lessons learned in this study can be valuable to technical development and safety improvement for engineering practices related to geosynthetic reinforced earth structures.