Experimental Investigation of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls Using Varying Reinforcement

It is a construction technique with alternate layers of compacted soil and reinforcing elements to build retaining walls and embankments. The reinforcing elements, which can be either steel or synthetic, interact with the soil by friction and confinement and provide tensile capacity. The combination

Project Title

Experimental Investigation of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls Using Varying Reinforcement

Project Area of Specialization

Information & Communication Technology

Project Summary

It is a construction technique with alternate layers of compacted soil and reinforcing elements to build retaining walls and embankments. The reinforcing elements, which can be either steel or synthetic, interact with the soil by friction and confinement and provide tensile capacity. The combination of soil and reinforcement behaves as a gravity mass that retains lateral earth pressure. The two materials produce a composite structural material that combines their best characteristics. The structure, which is constructed by this technique i.e. mechanically stabilize earth walls, is much flexible and due to this it can accommodate large settlements.

1.1 MSE COMPOSED PRIMARILY OF THE FOLLOWING THREE ELEMENTS:

1.1.1 FACING ELEMENTS 

Facing element are modular precast concrete panels or wire mesh. Each facing type offers different advantages when considering criteria such as aesthetics, durability, construction procedure, and expected settlement

1.1.2 SOIL REINFORCEMENTS 

       Soil reinforcements are typically steel or geosynthetic, in the form of strips or ladders. All soil reinforcement options have unique characteristics for pullout and tensile capacity, corrosion, and durability

1.1.3 BACKFILL

          Back fill allows for reliable construction and performance of the wall, in which the gradation, plasticity, electrochemical properties, and overall durability should be closely analyzed. It can be obtained on site, or from a distributor.

Project Objectives

? To study, evaluate and verifies the performance of mechanically stabilized earth walls in different condition of retained soil and backfill soil with different type of reinforcement with variable vertical spacing.

? To control global warming we will replace concrete with a compacted soil (sand) and reinforcement, which is environment friendly.

? To make retaining walls and bridge abutments construction economical

Project Implementation Method

5 PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION

Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls (MSEWs) and Reinforced Soil Slopes (RSSs) are cost-effective soil-retaining structures that can tolerate much larger settlements than reinforced concrete walls.  By placing tensile reinforcing elements (inclusions) in the soil, the strength of the soil can be improved significantly.  Use of a facing system to prevent soil raveling between the reinforcing elements allows very steep slopes and vertical walls to be constructed safely.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, French settlers along the Bay of Fundy in Canada used sticks to reinforce mud dikes. Some other early examples of man-made soil reinforcement include dikes of earth and tree branches, which have been used in China for at least 1,000 years (e.g., western portion of the Great Wall) and along the Mississippi River in the 1880s.  Other examples include wooden pegs used for erosion and landslide control in England, and bamboo or wire mesh, used universally for revetment erosion control.

It is believed that MSEWs have been constructed in every state in the United States. Major users include transportation agencies in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and California, which rank among the largest road building states

It is estimated that more than 9,000,000 ft2 (850,000 m2) of MSE retaining walls with precast facing are constructed on average every year in the United States, which may represent more than half of all retaining wall usage for transportation applications

6 ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTION

MSE structures have become an attractive alternative to traditional reinforced concrete retaining walls. They have a broad range of applications such as retaining walls, bridge abutments, sea walls, industrial storage walls, and others. In comparison to traditional walls, they offer two major advantages: they are often more economical and, due to their inherent flexibility, they can tolerate relatively large differential settlements without excessive structural distress

Benefits of the Project

2 THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

For many years, retaining structures were made of reinforced concrete and were designed as gravity or cantilever walls, which are essentially rigid structures and cannot accommodate significant differential settlements unless founded on deep foundations. With increasing height of soil to be retained and poor subsoil conditions, the cost of reinforced concrete retaining walls increases rapidly and structures try to overturn due to the earth pressure. For solving this problem Mechanically Stabilized Earth Technique is used. Here soil itself act as a retaining structure and facing units act as a supporting system and this structure is called ?Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall?(MSE Wall). In this technique, first facing units of first row are installed, which are made up of precast concrete panels, dry cast modular blocks, metal sheets and plates, gabions, welded wire mesh, wood lagging and panels, and wrapped sheets of geosynthetics. Then backfilling earth should be properly compacted and reinforced by means of reinforcing elements like steel strips or bars, welded wire mats, polymer grids or geotextile sheets. These reinforcing elements mechanically stabilize the earth.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

3 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

? The large quantity of concrete is used in the retaining walls and bridge abutments, which causes the emission of CO2 gases, which is the major cause of global warming.

? In Pakistan the geotextile is used as reinforcement in MSE wall, which is very costly because it is imported from the abroad.

? Construction of concrete retaining walls is also a time consuming.

4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 

? To study, evaluate and verifies the performance of mechanically stabilized earth walls in different condition of retained soil and backfill soil with different type of reinforcement with variable vertical spacing.

? To control global warming we will replace concrete with a compacted soil (sand) and reinforcement, which is environment friendly.

? To make retaining walls and bridge abutments construction economical.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Transportation

Other Industries

Health

Core Technology

Others

Other Technologies

Clean Tech

Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Sustainable Cities and Communities

Required Resources

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