Geosynthetics reinforced soil walls with complex geometries - From fundamentals to research findings

Geosynthetics reinforced soil (GRS) walls have become well accepted technology both in private and public sectors due to several benefi ts such as sound performance, aesthetics, cost and expediency of construction.There are many situations where geosynthetics reinforced soil walls are constructed with complex geometries such as tiered and back-to-back confi gurations, bridge abutment, especially for public sector applications. Although these types of GRS walls have been constructed and are per-forming well to date, there are many areas that still need in-depth studies in order to acquire required data to improve the currently available design guidelines. In this paper, the currently available design approaches for multi-tiered and backto- back GRS walls, GRS bridge abutment are fi rst reviewed. Research fi ndings from relevant studies on these types of walls are then presented and discussed in relation to the current design approaches. Practical implications of the fi ndings are also discussed in the design and construction perspectives.