An experimental and numerical study of the behaviour of reinforced sand

The results of an experimental and numerical study are presented concerning the use of different finite element models for the analysis of reinforced earth structures. A series of triaxial tests on sand reinforced by geotextiles are first illustrated and their results are modeled using two different finite element schemes. The first (non homogeneous) scheme considers separately the reinforcements and the sand layers between them, while the second one is based on a homogeneous approach which sees the reinforced sand as an equivalent non isotropic, elasto-plastic "composi te" material. On the basis of these results one three dimensional and two plane strain finite element models are developed and applied to the analysis of a vertical wall. The results of analyses lead to a comparative evaluation of the advantages and shortcomings of these alternative solution schemes.