Finite element modeling of a field-scale shored mechanically stabilized earth wall

Abstract

The shored mechanically stabilized earth (SMSE) walls are typically used in steep terrain to allow construction of a new road or widening of an existing narrow-road by constructing the wall on the outboard of the roadway. The state-of-practice suggests a minimum bench width and MSE reinforcement length equivalent to seventy percent of the design height of the MSE wall. It has been shown recently that shorter reinforcement length is sufficient when the SMSE wall system is constructed and the retaining benefits provided by the shoring component should be taken into consideration. In this paper, a finite element analysis is performed to model a tested field-scale SMSE wall. The finite element model including the constitutive models, boundary conditions, and staged construction procedure is discussed in detail.