STRESSES AND DEFORMATIONS IN GEOTEXTILE REINFORCED MODEL WALLS

This paper presents a study of geotextile reinforced model walls subjected to vertical surcharge. Different reinforcement layouts were tested. Vertical stress distributions were measured at the base of the walls as well as internal displacements and horizontal displacements at the face of the wall. Comparisons between predictions and measurements were also made. The results showed that the reinforcement arrangement used in the wall can significantly affected its face displacements and the stresses at its base. Theoretical predictions of stresses and displacements in geosynthetic reinforced walls are sensitive to some soil or reinforcement parameters usually unavailable in routine works.