International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Research Article

ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF 44 METER M.S.E. (MECHANICALLY

STABILIZED EARTH) WALL BY USING PLAXIS 8.2
1

D. Kishan, 2Dr. N. Dindorkar, 3Dr. R. Srivastava,

4*

Ankesh Shrivastava

Address for Correspondence

1

Asst. Prof, Department of Civil Engineering, MANIT, Bhopal MP INDIA

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, MANIT, Bhopal MP INDIA
3
Director, NIT, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand)
4
Research Scholar, Geotechnical Engineering, Deptt. of civil Engineering, MANIT Bhopal MP INDIA
E mail ankesh07vids@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
2

Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Wall has been increasingly used in many Central, state and private projects
over the last 20 years. MSE walls are reliable, constructible, and cost effective. However, designing and analysis of
MSE all has become a problem for many agencies using them. In this paper a Finite-Element Program PLAXIS is
used to analysis and designing of 44 meter 4 tiered MSE wall. Based on the parametric studies it is observed that the
top 1st tiered wall shows the deflection of about 130mm, the total displacement of wall is about 132mm, extreme
stresses on to the wall are about 29.69%, and total extreme stresses are about 973. 06 kN/m2 to the downward
direction from the top of the wall. This paper presents the results of investigations to design and analysis of 44 meter
MSE wall.

includes precast concrete panels, dry cast

1. INTRODUCTION
Soil is an abundant construction material, which
has compressive strength and no tensile strength.
To overcome this weakness, the soil can be
reinforced with materials with high tensile
strength.

The

basic

principal

of

earth

reinforcement is the generation of frictional

resisting force between the backfill soil and
reinforcing element. The reinforcing element
can be geosynthetics, metal straps, strips and
bars etc. Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) is
a method of reinforcing earthen materials so that
they can support their own weight within the
minimum space and maximum side slopes. MSE
walls are typically constructed using four
structural components: 1) geogrid reinforcement
2) wall facing 3) retained backfill and 4)
reinforced backfill soil. The facing also plays an
important role in the stability of the wall, which

modular blocks, metal sheet and plates, gabions,

welded wire mesh, shotcrete, wood lagging and
panels, and wrapped sheet of geosynthetics.
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT
The basic need of the infrastructure in civil
engineering is continuously increasing to cater
the development of nation, and it is necessary
that invent new technique to minimize the use of
cement concrete in all infrastructural projects
and generate a new environmental friendly
technique for the construction of various civil
engineering structures.
Widening of roads in hilly terrains, construction
of embankments and foundations on soft soils
with minimum utilization of land are the major
issues to be addressed during planning and
design stages of all major projects. Therefore in
the present study the analysis and designing of
44 meters, 4 tiered MSE wall for the widening

IJAET/Vol.I/ Issue III/Oct.-Dec.,2010/41-49

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

of Ghat road has been carried out using finite

minimum vertical spacing is of 80mm and

element program PLAXIS 8.2.

maximum spacing is of 280mm. this spacing is

3. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

determined by the relevant books and codes. A

The main objective of the current study is to

IRC CLASS-A loading was applied as a

determine the alternate method for construction

moving load on to the wall considering as a

of highway roads in hilly areas. The major tasks

worth condition for the movement of the

performed in this study are as follows

vehicles to the wall. a 300mm 300mm vertical

1. To study the fundamental principal and

further

development

of

reinforced

chimney is to be design at the facing side of the

wall for the proper drainage of the runoff water.

structures to achive economical designing

of the wall.
2. Perform the parametric studies of the
various factors that may govern the
important parameters of MSE wall like
a) The effects of reinforcement.
b) The effects of backfill soil.
c) The final objective is to compare the
total displacement, stresses, strains
and axial forces developed in the
reinforcing layers as well as in soil.
4. DISCRIPTION OF TIERED WALLS
The MSE wall consists of 4 tiered walls each of
11meter height,

with effective length

st

reinforcing layer at 1 tiered

of

wall from the

nd

bottom is of 20meter, 2 tiered having 15meter,

3rd tiered having 12meter and top 4th having 10
meters respectively. The total numbers of
reinforcing layers are 28, in which each tiered
wall heaving 7 reinforcing layers of geogrid SR2/UX1700. The present study is initially
intended to work with concrete modular blocks
of size 300mm 300mm in plane with a height
of 200mm. uniformly graded sand with different
relative density and unit weight was used as
backfill and surcharge for each tier. Reinforcing
geogrid is used as reinforcing material with

IJAET/Vol.I/ Issue III/Oct.-Dec.,2010/41-49

Fig. 4.1 Cross Section-44 m wall

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

5. FINITE-ELEMENT MODELING

The reinforced wall is design as per the relevant

The widening of ghat road in hilly areas where

clauses in BS 8006-1995 and NCMA design

other conventional techniques are not applicable

manual on design of segmental retaining wall.

accepts the construction of MSE wall has been

For the finite element modeling of the wall

chosen for this parametric study. This paper

PLAXIS 8.2 (a finite-element code for rock and

based on the construction of the 40 meter soil

soil analysis) has been chosen, and the

reinforced

wall

in

Vijayawada

(Andhra

construction of the wall is carried out safely and

economically. The finite element mesh consists

Pradesh).

of 1276 numbers of 15-node triangular elements

to the entire tiered wall and 338 number of 5node bar element to model the reinforcement
(geogrid). The horizontal and vertical boundary
conditions are apply for the safe and accurate
designing.
6. MATERIAL DATA SHEET
There are four major components which
constitute a reinforcing soil system. These are
the soils, the reinforcement, the draining soil and
the facing (skin). In order to design safe and
economical reinforced soil structures it is
necessary to have detailed characteristics of all
four components.

The Backfill and Draining Materials

High quality backfill material is required for

durability,

good

drainage,

and

good

reinforcement interaction, which can be obtained

from well graded granular materials. The back
fill soil properties have a great influence on
behavior of reinforced soil. The unit weights of
materials, in Table 1, provide reasonable values
for unit weights of soils in the absence of
Fig. 5.1 Finite-Element Modeling of the Soil
Wall

IJAET/Vol.I/ Issue III/Oct.-Dec.,2010/41-49

reliable test results.

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

Table 1- Unit weights of soils

m: Moist bulk weight (kN/m3)

Granular Material

sat: Saturated bulk weight (kN/m3)

Loose

Dense

Loose

Dense

Gravel

16.0

18.0

20.0

21.0

Well graded sand and gravel

19.0

21.0

21.5

23.0

Coarse or medium sand

16.5

18.5

20.0

21.5

Well graded sand

18.0

21.0

20.5

22.5

Fine or silty sand

17.0

19.0

20.0

21.5

Rock fill

15.0

17.5

19.5

21.0

Table 2- Soil data sets parameters

Mohr-Coulomb

Backfill soil

Draining soil

Type

Units

Undrained

Drained

dry

kN/m3

18

16

sat.

kN/m

20

20

Kx

m/day

0.00

1.00

Ky

m/day

0.00

1.00

Cref

kN/m

10

30

30

Eref

kN/m

6000

1000

0.3

0.3

Table 3- Modular facing Block Parameter

Linear Elastic
Type

Modular Block
Non-Porous

dry (kN/m3)
2

24

Eref (kN/m )

1.05X1010

0.15

The facing (skin) element

structure, it also controls the aesthetics of the

The facing element protects the soil and

reinforced earth wall.

reinforcing elements from weathering effects

and used o keep the backfill soil from flowing.

The soil reinforcing element is designed and

Since the facing is the visible part of the

positioned within the compacted backfill to give

IJAET/Vol.I/ Issue III/Oct.-Dec.,2010/41-49

The Reinforcing Element

International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

E-ISSN 0976-3945

the composite structure tensile strength. The

mechanism of soil to reinforcement stress

The performance of the wall in the software is

transfer is through the pressure developed due to

basically depends upon the mesh data in which

overburden of the backfill soil on to the

the project has been generating.

Mesh Data

reinforcing elements.
Table 4- Geotextile data set Parameter
No.

Identification

EA (kN/m)

SR-2/UX-1700

64.10

0.00

Table 5- Number, Type of Element, Integrations

Type

Type of element

Type of integration

Total no.

Soil

15-noded

12-point Gauss

1276

Geogrid

5-node line

4-point Newton-Cotes

338

7. RESULTS

Stresses

(a) Total Stress=977.77kN/m2

(b) Cross sectional view

Fig. 7.1 Stresses on to the Wall

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

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Fig. 7.2 Depth vs. Stresses

The total effective principal stresses are about2

shows the total effective stresses on to the wall

973.06 kN/m . The stress is increases with the

and fig. (b) Shows the cross-sectional view of

depth of wall; negative sign shows the

the effect of stress on to the MSE wall.

downward effect of stresses to the vertical

direction. The effective stress on to the top of
the wall is about-9.39 kN/m2 and increases with
the depth of the wall, and highest stress on to the
wall is about-980.66 kN/m2 located just at the
foundation of facing wall. Above fig. 7.1 (a)

st

Strain

The maximum strain acting on to the facing of

the wall, as the depth is increases the effects of
the strains are also increases up to a certain
limit. The total strain is of about 29.69%.

(a) Stress-Strain Curve for 1 Tiered wall

(b) Stress-Strain Curve for 2nd Tiered wall

(c) Stress-Strain Curve for 3rd Tiered wall

(d) Stress-Strain Curve for 4th Tiered wall

Fig. 7.3 Stress vs. Strain Curve For Different Tiered wall

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology

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Displacement

Displacement,

in

Newtonian

mechanics,

presented the load vs. settlement graph for

specifies the change in position of a point in

different reinforcing layer, which shows that at a

reference to a previous position. In simple terms,

constant loading, as the depth increases the

it's the difference between the initial position

settlement were also increases.

and the final position of an object. Fig. 7.4

Fig. 7.4 Load vs. Displacement Plot for Different Reinforcing Layers

(a)

(b)

(c)

Fig. 7.5 Displacement of Facing of Different Tiered Section

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(d)

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Fig. 7.5 (a) shows the displacement plot of 1st
tiered wall, which gives the total displacement

3.

of the facing is about 0.18mm, Fig. (b) Shows

the displacement plot of 2nd tiered wall, which
gives total displacement, is about 0.15mm, Fig.

4.
5.

(c) Shows the displacement plot if 3rd tiered

wall, gives the displacement is about 0.08mm,
and Fig. (d) Gives the displacement of top 4th
tiered wall, gives the displacement is about

6.

7.

0.05mm. from the above all the figures state that

the maximum

displacement of facing is in

bottom tiered and top tiered facing represents

8.

minimum displacement.
8. CONCLUSION

9.

The finite element analysis performed in this

study has indicated that geotextile reinforcement
may be an effective method of improving the

10.

performance of embankments constructed over

ghat road. The stabilizing effect of the geotextile
was seen to increase as the geotextile modulus
increased. The effect was greatest for shallower

11.
12.

deposits. The effect of geotextile reinforcement

was compared with alternative construction

13.

techniques which involved the use of light

weight fill or berms alone and in conjunction
with geotextile reinforcement. In particular, it

14.
15.

was found that the combined use of geotextile

reinforcement and light weight fill may be a
very

effective

means

of

improving

16.

the

performance of embankments over hilly terrain.

17.

9. REFERENCES
1.

2.

AASHTO (American Association of State

Highway and Transportation Officials), LRFD
(Load and Resistance Factor Design), MSE
(Mechanically Stabilized Earth) wall design
manual.
Abdul aziz A. kamal, pauleen A. lane, and Ali
A.R. Heshmati (2005), 13th ACME conference,

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18.

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Parametric
study
of
reinforced
and
unreinforced embankment on soft soil.
BS 8006-1995 Code of practice for
Strengthened/ reinforced soils and other fills.
BS 8002-1994 Code of practice for Earth
retaining structures.
C.Yoo (2002), design of geosynthetics
reinforced segmental retaining wall in a tiered
arrangement- Use of numerical modeling as a
design aid.
C.R. Lawson, T.W. Yee & J-C Choi, Segmental
block retaining walls with combination geogrid
and anchor reinforcements
G.L. Sivakumar Babu, professor, department of
civil engineering, IIT Bangalore, Use of soil
nailing for excavation stability and slope
stability improvement analysis of case study.
Guangxin Li., yunminchen, Xiaowu tngg
Eds.(2008), text book Geosynthetics in Civil
and Environmental engineering geosynthetic
asia.
H.I. Ling, C.P. Cardany, L-X. Sun & H.
Hashimoto, Finite Element study of a
Geosynthetic-Reinforced soil retaining wall
with concrete block facing.
Halil Murat Algin professor civil engineering
harran university, turkey, settlement analysis of
geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls at
foundation level.
IS: 456-2000 code of practice for design of
concrete structures.
J.Otani, T.Hirai, H.Ochiai, and S.Shinowaki
(1998), evaluation of foundation support for
geosynthetic reinforced soil wall on sloping
ground
K. Rajagopal, professor, department of civil
engineering, IIT Madras, Design principal of
reinforced soil walls
NCMA Design Manual for Segmental Retaining
Walls, 3rd Edition (2009).
PLAXIS 8.2 design manuals a finite element
code for rock and soil analysis.
P.T. Raju Construction of tiered reinforced soil
retaining walls for widening of ghat road to
sridurga malleswara swami varla devastanam,
Vijayawada.
Robert M. Koerner (1990), text book, second
edition, designing with geosynthetics.
Techfab india industries LTD. (2007), techgrid
geogrid reinforced soil walls with welded wire
mesh facing to retain the approach to a flyover.