Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall with Deformed Steel Bars Embedded in Tire Shred-Sand Mixture

Abstract

This article presents the experimental and numerical analysis behavior on Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall (MSE) under applied overburden load performed on the 1.5 m high, 0.9 m width, and 1.2 m length reinforced with deformed steel bars embedded in sand alone and tires shred-sand mixture. The study investigates how deformed bars, strength, and geometry affect the failure mechanism. The top of the wall was laden with additional overburden weight at various stages to explore the pre-failure wall behavior. The horizontal displacements were measured using potentiometers of the wall face and by potentiometers placed at the top of the loading plate. The results of the observations were compared to the analysis results derived from a numerical model created using the Plaxis 3D software. Numerical modeling was also applied to assess the behavior of MSE wall (3D model) on the failure mechanism of the walls. The parameters for the numerical models were derived from independent tests results, which were compared with the experimental observations. A good level of agreement with measurements was confirmed for the 3D model with the experimental data. From the results, it was deduced that at 30 kPa and 40 kPa, the tire shred-sand mixture with reinforcement gave a 36% and 58% reduction in face deflection compared to sand with reinforcement. The difference between numerical and experimental values ranges from 12% to 15%.