A vertical geosynthetic-reinforced MSE wall with the reinforced fill, retained fill,

and foundation soil have the same properties as shown. The traffic loading on top of
the wall is 15 kPa. The AASHTO (2012) design method is used to determine the
required tensile strength of each geosynthetic layer. Calculate the factors of safety
for internal (pullout) and external stability (sliding, overturning, and bearing failure).

10 m

1m
Layer 1
1m
Layer 2
1m
Layer 3
1m
Layer 4
1m
10 m

Layer 5
1m
Layer 6
1m
Layer 7
1m
Layer 8
1m
Layer 9
1m

kN
r=21 ; r =34 ; N =41.06 (Vesic); R c =100
m3

Solution
1. Required Tensile Strength
Since it it a vertical wall, the active earth pressure coefficient of the reinforced
fill, K ai , is

r
(
K ai=tan 2 45
2 ) (
=tan 2 45
34
2 )
=0.283

Layer 1
1
The height of the tributary area for layer 1 is s v 1=1 m+ ( 1 m )=1.5 m
2
The required tensile strength for layer 1 is
 1
T 1 max = K ai r s v12 + K ai p s v1
2

( 12 0.283 21 1.5 )+( 0.283 15 1.5)

2

kN
13.053
m
Layer 2
The height of tributary area for layer 2 is s v 2=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of

layer 2 ( z 2=2 m is
h =K ai r z 2+ K ai p=( 0.283 21 2 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=16.131 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 2 is

kN
T 2 max = h s v2=16.131 1=16.131
m
Layer 3
The height of tributary area for layer 2 is s v 3=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 3 ( z 3=3 m is

h =K ai r z 3 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 3 ) + ( 0.283 15 ) =22.074 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 3 is

kN
T 3 max = h s v3 =22.074 1=22.074
m
Layer 4
The height of tributary area for layer 4 is s v 4 =1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 4 ( z 4=4 m is

h =K ai r z 4 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 4 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=28.017 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 4 is

kN
T 4 max = h s v 4 =28.017 1=28.017
m
Layer 5
The height of tributary area for layer 5 is s v 5=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 5 ( z 5=5 m is

h =K ai r z 5 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 5 ) + ( 0.283 15 ) =33.960 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 5 is

 kN
T 5 max = h s v5 =33.960 1=33.960
m
Layer 6
The height of tributary area for layer 6 is s v 6=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 6 ( z 6=6 m is

h =K ai r z 6 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 6 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=39.903 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 6 is

kN
T 6 max = h s v6 =39.903 1=39.903
m
Layer 7
The height of tributary area for layer 7 is s v 7=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 7 ( z 7=7 m is

h =K ai r z 7 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 7 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=45.846 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 7 is

kN
T 7 max = h s v7 =45.846 1=45.846
m
Layer 8
The height of tributary area for layer 8 is s v 8=1 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 8 ( z 8=8 m is

h =K ai r z 8 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 8 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=51.789 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 8 is

kN
T 8 max = h s v8 =51.789 1=51.789
m
Layer 9
The height of tributary area for layer 9 is s v 9=1.5 m . The lateral earth

pressure at the elevation of layer 9 ( z 9=9.25 m is

h =K ai r z 9 + K ai p=( 0.283 21 9.25 ) + ( 0.283 15 )=59.218 kPa

The required tensile strength for layer 9 is

kN
T 9max = h s v 9=59.218 1.5=88.827
m

The Required Tensile Strength Table

Layer s vn (m) z n (m) h (kPa) T nmax
 kN
( )
m
Layer
1.5 - - 13.053
1
Layer
1 2 16.131 16.131
2
Layer
1 3 22.074 22.074
3
Layer
1 4 28.017 28.017
4
Layer
1 5 33.960 33.960
5
Layer
1 6 39.903 39.903
6
Layer
1 7 45.846 45.846
7
Layer
1 8 51.789 51.789
8
Layer
1.5 9.25 59.218 88.827
9

2. FS Against Pullout
Since the top slope is flat, the critical failure plane within the reinforced zone is
the Rankine failure plane, that is,
r 34
=45 + =45 + =62
2 2

The rear anchorage length of each layer ( H i is the height of the

geosynthetic reinforcement, i, from the bottom of the wall) is
H1 9
Layer 1 : Lar 1=L =10 =5.215 m
tan tan 62

H2 8
Layer 2 : Lar 2=L =10 =5.746 m
tan tan 62

H3 7
Layer 3 : Lar 3=L =10 =6.278 m
tan tan 62

H4 6
Layer 4 : Lar 4 =L =10 =6.810 m
tan tan 62

H5 5
Layer 5 : Lar 5=L =10 =7.342m
tan tan 62

H6 4
Layer 6 : Lar 6=L =10 =7.873 m
tan tan 62
 H7 3
Layer 7 : Lar 7=L =10 =8.405 m
tan tan 62

H8 2
Layer 8 : Lar 8=L =10 =8.937 m
tan tan 62

H9 1
Layer 9 : Lar 9=L =10 =9.468 m
tan tan 62

The pullout capacity of each layer and the corresponding factor of safety are :
Ci =F se

F =0.67 tan r ( geotextile)

se=0.6(geotextile)

0.67 tan r 0.6

0.271

Layer 1
T po 1=2 r ( HH 1 ) Lar 1 C i R c tan r

2 21 ( 109 ) 5.215 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
40.037
m
T po 1 40.037
FS po 1= = =3.067>1.5 ( OK )
T 1 max 13.053

Layer 2
T po 2=2 r ( HH 2 ) Lar 2 Ci Rc tan r

2 21 ( 108 ) 5.746 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
88.227
m
T po 2 88.227
FS po 2= = =5.470>1.5 ( OK )
T 2 max 16.131

Layer 3
T po 3=2 r ( HH 3 ) Lar 3 Ci Rc tan r

2 21 ( 107 ) 6.278 0.271 1 tan 34

 kN
144.593
m
T po 3 144.593
FS po 3= = =6.550>1.5 ( OK )
T 3 max 22.074

Layer 4
T po 4 =2 r ( HH 4 ) Lar 4 C i R c tan r

2 21 ( 106 ) 6.810 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
209.129
m
T po 4 209.129
FS po 4= = =7.464> 1.5 ( OK )
T 4 max 28.017

Layer 5
T po 5=2 r ( HH 5 ) Lar 5 Ci Rc tan r

2 21 ( 105 ) 7.342 0.271 1 tan34

kN
281.832
m
T po 5 281.832
FS po 5= = =8.299>1.5 ( OK )
T 5 max 33.960

Layer 6
T po 6 =2 r ( H H 6 ) L ar 6 C i R c tan r

2 21 ( 104 ) 7.873 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
362.658
m
T po 6 362.658
FS po 6= = =9.089>1.5 (OK )
T 6 max 39.903

Layer 7
T po 7=2 r ( H H 7 ) Lar 7 C i Rc tan r

2 21 ( 103 ) 8.405 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
451.691
m
T po 7 451.691
FS po 7= = =9.852>1.5 (OK )
T 7 max 45.846

Layer 8
 T po 8=2 r ( H H 8 ) Lar 8 C i Rc tan r

2 21 ( 102 ) 8.937 0.271 1 tan 34

kN
548.893
m
T po 8 548.893
FS po 8= = =10.599>1.5 ( OK )
T 8 max 51.789

Layer 9
T po 8=2 r ( H H 9 ) L ar 9 C i R c tan r

2 21 ( 101 ) 9.468 0.2711 tan 34

kN
654.194
m
T po 9 654.194
FS po 9= = =7.365>1.5 ( OK )
T 9 max 88.827

The Pullout Capacity Table

Layer Hn Lar T po ( T max FS po >1.5 Kontrol

(m) (m) kN kN
( )
m m
Layer 9 5.215 40.037 13.053 3.067 OK
1
Layer 8 5.746 88.227 16.131 5.470 OK
2
Layer 7 6.278 144.593 22.074 6.550 OK
3
Layer 6 6.810 209.129 28.017 7.464 OK
4
Layer 5 7.342 281.832 33.960 8.299 OK
5
Layer 4 7.873 362.658 39.903 9.089 OK
6
Layer 3 8.405 451.691 45.846 9.852 OK
7
Layer 2 8.937 548.893 51.789 10.599 OK
8
Layer 1 9.468 654.194 88.827 7.365 OK
9

3. FS Against Base Sliding

 The coefficient of lateral earth pressure for the external stability when =0

and r=34 is

cos cos 2 cos2 r

K ae =cos
cos + cos cos r
2 2

cos( 0) cos2 (0)cos2 (34)

cos 0 =0.28 3
cos ( 0 ) + cos2 (0)cos2 (34)
The lateral forces due to soil and surcharge are
1 2 1 2 kN
PaH 1= K r H = 0.283 21 10 =297.15
2 ae 2 m

kN
PaH 2=K ae pH =0.283 15 10=42.45
m
The vertical force due to soil (surcharge is ignored for conservative design) is
kN
W 1= r LH =2110 10=2100
m
The factor of safety against sliding along the base is
W 1 tan r 2100 tan 34
FSbs= = =4.171>1.5 (OK )
PaH 1+ PaH 2 297.15+ 42.45

4. FS Against Overturning
The driving moment due to soil pressure and surcharge is
P
P
1 1
( aH 1 H )+( aH 2 H )
3 2

M d=

10 10
(
297.15
3 )(
+ 42.45
2 )
=1202.75 kN

The resisting moment by the weight of the reinforced soil (surcharge is ignored
L
for conservative design) is M r=W 1 =2100 5=10500 kN
2
The factor of safety against overturning is
M r 10500
FSot = = =8.73>1.5 (OK )
M d 1202.75

5. FS Against Bearing Failure

The resistant moment by the weight of the reinforced soil and surcharge is
 W
L L
( 1 )+( pL )
2 2
M r =

10 10
(
2100
2 )(
+ 15 10
2 )
=11250 kN

The eccentricity for bearing capacity calculation is

L M M d 10 112501202.75
e= r = =0.535 m
2 W 1 + pL 2 2100+ ( 15 10 )
The equivalent applied bearing pressure is
W 1 + pL 2100+(10 15)
pv = = =251.960 kPa
L2 e 10(2 0.535)
The ultimate bearing capacity is
qult =0.5 r ( L2 e ) N

0.5 21 ( 10( 2 0.535 ) ) 41.0 6

3849.991kPa
The factor of safety against bearing failure is
qult 3849.991
FSbc = = =15.280>2.5 (OK )
p v 251.960