Walls Reinforced with Fiber Reinforced Plastic Geogrids in Japan

This paper deals with geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) retaining walls reinforced with high tensile strength and stiffness fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) geogrids. The geogrid properties are described and full-scale field tests using three different wall facings are presented. The performance of the test walls is compared with the results of finite element method analyses which were used to simulate the construction and loading of the field tests. The analyses indicate that geosynthetic stiffness affects wall face deformation. A case history which describes the construction of a GRS retaining wall is also presented.