Soil is strong in compression but weak in tension, so geogrids and strong geotextiles laid in layers take the tension and let a fill stand as a wall or steep slope. Design counts on long-term strength after creep, damage and durability reductions, plus enough embedment length to resist pullout. Reinforcement also covers embankments on soft ground, where a strong basal layer holds the fill together while the foundation gains strength.
Reinforcement has to reach back at least 70 percent of the wall height, so these 10-foot pieces are short for a 16-foot wall.
Embedment behind the failure surface decides pullout as much as grid strength does, and short layers near the top of a wall are a classic design miss.
Also heard as
- soil reinforcement
- reinforcing function
Related terms
MSE wall
Mechanically stabilized earth wall: compacted fill reinforced with layers of geogrid or steel strips behind a facing.
RSS
Reinforced soil slope: an embankment built steeper than its fill could stand alone by layering geogrid or geotextile in it.
LTDS
Long-term design strength: reinforcement strength left after reductions for creep, installation damage and aging.
Uniaxial geogrid
Geogrid with its strength concentrated in one direction, used to reinforce walls and steep slopes.
Creep
Slow, continuing stretch of a geosynthetic under a constant load over time.