REINFORCED EARTH WALLS

THE PURPOSE WAS, IN PART, TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING REINFORCED EARTH IN THE UNITED STATES (PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE BEEN IN FRANCE) AS A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER CONVENTIONAL METHODS OF EARTH CONSTRUCTION, AND TO STUDY THE NATURE AND BEHAVIOR OF REINFORCED EARTH WALLS BY MEANS OF SMALL SCALE STRUCTURES BUILT IN THE LABORATORY. REINFORCED EARTH REQUIRES FREE-DRAINING BACKFILL SOIL AND REINFORCING MATERIALS WHICH NOT ONLY POSSESS HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH, HIGH SURFACE FRICTION AND LOW COST, BUT ALSO OFFER A HIGH RESISTANCE TO CORROSION IN A SOIL ENVIRONMENT. FOR FULL-SIZE WALLS, GALVANIZED STEEL WAS CONSIDERED TO BE SATISFACTORY. COST ESTIMATES INDICATED THAT REINFORCED EARTH RETAINING WALLS USING THIS MATERIAL COULD BE BUILT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT COSTS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN OTHER CONVENTIONAL RETAINING WALLS. THE PERFORMANCE OF REINFORCED EARTH WALLS UNDER THE STATIC LOADING CONDITIONS OF AN INCREASING HEIGHT OF WALL AND BACKFILL WAS STUDIED BY CONSTRUCTING SMALL-SCALE WALLS (ONE TO TWO FEET HIGH) IN THE LABORATORY. THESE SMALL STRUCTURES WERE BUILT USING VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF REINFORCING TIES AND SAND BACKFILLS. THE PERFORMANCE WAS MONITORED THROUGHOUT ALL STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION UP TO FAILURE BY A SYSTEM OF STRESS GAUGES, PRESSURE CELLS AND DEFORMATION INDICATORS. DEPENDING ON THE CONDITIONAL FAILURE OCCURED BY EITHER THE TIES BREAKING IN TENSION, OR PULLING OUT OF THE SAND DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE. THEORETICAL STUDIES WERE ALSO PERFORMED WHICH LED TO READILY USED METHODS OF PREDICTING MAXIMUM HEIGHTS TO WHICH A WALL CAN BE BUILT, DEPENDING ON THE ARRANGEMENT AND PROPERTIES OF THE REINFORCING MATERIALS AND THE SAND BACKFILL. THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL TESTS AND THE THEORETICAL STUDIES WERE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Los Angeles

  Los Angeles, CA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Lee, K L
  • Adams, B D
  • Vagneron, J J
• Publication Date: 1972-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 219 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Deformation; Feasibility analysis; Load cells; Measuring instruments; Mechanically stabilized earth; Retaining walls; Static loads; Theory
• Old TRIS Terms: Static loading
• Subject Areas: Finance; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00236376
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 7 1972 12:00AM