Geosynthetics April/May 2020 - 31

Polymeric strip reinforcement has
been utilized in the Port of Miami
infrastructure supporting tunnels, in
Virginia for light-rail applications, several projects for highway applications
in the Midwest, and internationally in
extremely tall walls (>98 feet [30 m]) for
supporting the infrastructure needed
for crushers, dumps and roll-off/roll-on
ramps in mines, 88.6-foot (27-m) tiered
walls for a highway in Croatia, a 33-foot
(10-m) mixed abutment in Fort Carson,
Colo., support walls for the ring foundations in Marrero, La., and the list of
applications in challenging conditions
grows every day. The latest project now
in construction is the 141-foot (43-m)
high wall supporting roadway as part of
infrastructure expansion in the Dubai/
Abu Dhabi region.

Acknowledgments

Conclusion

Hardianto, F. S., Lozano, R., Sankey, J. E., and Hughes,
D. K. (2013). "GeoStrap™ reinforced MSE wall for dam
expansion." Proc., GeoCongress 2013, ASCE, Reston, Va.,
543-554.

Linear geosynthetic reinforcing strips
were used on the Point Defiance project to enhance the MSE wall design to
meet the challenge of a saltwater marine
environment. The results of research and
monitored MSE walls have led to a design
basis using AASHTO design models for
this type of discrete reinforcement. As
with any geosynthetic, tensioning the
geosynthetic strip in construction is
important to maintain the wall alignment. Using geosynthetic strip allowed
for reinforcement to easily splay around
obstructions in the MSE wall, such as
light poles, electric conduits and drainage media, an advantage over other traditional geosynthetic reinforcements.
Geosynthetic strip is a relatively new
development in the U.S. but well-known
and commonly used for more than
40 years worldwide. It can be used in
confidence in projects where, due to
environmental conditions or restrictions on backfills, the use of metallic
reinforcement may be difficult.

The authors would like to acknowledge
the following partners involved in this
project: Atkinson Construction, KLB
Construction, Jacobs Engineering and
Wilbert Precast.
References
AASHTO. (2015). LRFD bridge design specifications, 6th
edition, American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, Washington, D.C.
AASHTO-NTPEP. (2017). Report REGEO-2015-01Reinforced Earth Co. GeoStrap 5-Laboratory evaluation
of geosynthetic reinforcement. September.
Anderson, P. L., Gladstone, R., and Sankey, J. E. (2012).
"State of the practice of MSE wall design for highway
structures." Proc., ASCE GeoCongress 2012 Conf., ASCE,
Reston, Va.
Andrawes, K. Z., Al-Hasani, M. M., and McGown, A.
(1978). "Effect of inclusion properties on the behavior
of sand." Géotechnique, January 28(3), 327-346.
Berg, R., Christopher, B., and Samtani, N. (2009). "Design
and construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls
and reinforced soil slopes." FHWA-NHI-10-024 and 025,
Volumes I and II, NHI Course Nos. 132042 and 132043.

Lozano, R., Brabant, K. P., Truong, K., and Anderson, P. L.
(2017). "Evaluation of lateral stress ratio (Kr/Ka) for geosynthetic strip reinforcements in mechanically stabilized
earth walls." Proc., 19th Int. Conf. on Soil Mechanics and
Geotechnical Engineering, Seoul, South Korea.
Lozano, R., and Sankey, J. (2013). "Pullout performance
of polymeric strip reinforcements used in mechanically
stabilized earth walls." Proc., GeoMontreal 2013, 66th
Canadian Geotechnical Conf, Montreal, Que., Canada.
Luo, Y., Leshchinsky, D., Rimoldi, P., Lugli, G., and Xu,
C. (2015). "Instrumented MSE wall reinforced with
polyester straps." Transportation Research Board.

Schlosser, F., Price, D., and Hoteit, N. (1993).
"Instrumented full scale Freyssisol-Websol reinforced
soil wall." Proc., Conf. for Soil Reinforcement Full Scale
Experiments of the 80's, Nov. 18-19.
Segrestin, P., and Bastick, M. (1996). "Comparative
study and measurement of the pull-out capacity of
extensible and inextensible reinforcements." Proc., Int.
Symposium on Earth Reinforcement, Fukuoka, Kyushu,
Japan, A. A. Balkema, 139-144.
Terre Armée Internationale (TAI). (1982). "Study of
the Tergal webbing used as reinforcing strip for the
reinforced earth wall of Beaulieunear Poitiers," Report
No. IR 1, February, unpublished. G

>> For more, search strip
at www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com.

www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

0420GS_p24-31.indd 31

3/23/20 4:47 PM

http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com http://www.GeosyntheticsMagazine.com

Geosynthetics April/May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics April/May 2020