This course provides an introduction to geotextile reinforced soil walls. Soil, especially granular, is relatively strong under compressive stresses. When reinforced, significant tensile stresses can be carried by the reinforcement, resulting in a composite structure which possesses wider margins of strength. This extra strength means that steeper slopes can be built. Geotextiles have been utilized in the construction of reinforced soil walls since the early 1970’s. Geotextile sheets are used to wrap compacted soil in layers producing a stable composite structure. Geotextile-reinforced soil walls somewhat resemble the popular sandbag walls which have been used for some decades. However, geotextile- reinforced walls can be constructed to significant height because of the geotextile’s higher strength and a simple mechanized construction procedure. This course will give you professional tools that will help you to understand the technical and design considerations to use when employing geotextile reinforcement in soil walls.

Learning Objectives

• Learn about the advantages of geotextile reinforced walls;
• Learn the disadvantages of geotextile reinforced walls;
• Learn the recommended properties of retained soils in geotextile reinforced walls;
• Learn how backfill soil has a direct effect on the external stability of the wall;
• Learn the design method recommended for retaining walls reinforced with geotextiles developed by the U.S. Forest Service;
• Learn how to calculate the lateral earth pressure at any depth below the top of the wall;
• Learn how to calculate lateral pressures from live loads for a point load acting on the surface of the backfill; and
• Learn why freedraining granular materials should be used as retained soil.