Effect of Length and Distance between the Geogrid Layers on the Performance of MSE Wall Using Finite Elements Method

This paper investigates the details of two-dimensional finite elements modeling of geogrid mechanically stabilized earth wall in plain strain conditions. In this research, Mohr-Coulomb model was used for backfill soil, and geogrid layers were modeled as an isoperimetric linear elastic material. Measured data from an instrumented wall in Tucson, AZ, USA, were used to verify the model. Horizontal strains in geogrid layers and horizontal and vertical strains in individual elevations of backfill soil were obtained from the software. Results were in good agreement with the reference ones. Then, the finite elements model was used to investigate the effects of length and location of geogrid layers on wall deformation and loads in reinforcement layers. Based on the results, an economic design can be successfully performed by changing the length and location of geogrid and this is only possible by finite elements analysis. Moreover, it was achieved that lower geogrid layers had the highest effect on displacement of wall and designers should use more layers at the bottom of the wall. This research showed that finite elements method is an appropriate approach for modeling of MSE walls, predicting of their behavior and resolving defects of the measured data from installation of sensors.