ABSTRACT
The project on State Route 288 in Richmond, Virginia, USA includes several Reinforced Earth walls (generically called Mechanically Stabilized Embankment or MSE walls) (Figure 1). The 25 m high walls supporting a bridge approach at Interstate 64 are the tallest MSE walls in the state. They also have a slender back-to-back configuration, with a 15 m separation. Due to the unusual height and slenderness of the structure, the Virginia Department of Transportation required a numerical analysis to verify the walls stability prior to construction. Field instrumentation and monitoring were also implemented. Based on his numerical analysis and the collected field data, the state’s design consultant published a paper that raised questions about the validity of the current design practice for back-to-back walls. In response, The Reinforced Earth Company conducted a new numerical analysis study of a more representative model of the MSE structure. The results, reported herein, validate the current design methods and improve our understanding of back-to-back MSE wall behavior.
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