Effects of Collapse Settlement of Fill on Reinforced Earth Walls

Two case histories illustrate the effects that collapse settlement of the fill forming a Reinforced Earth wall can have on the structure. Pre-requisites for collapse settlement are inadequate compaction, compaction at too low a water content, or a combination of these. Collapse settlement occurs subsequently when the water content of the fill is increased by infiltration. The effects of collapse settlement identified in this paper are: (i) a temporary release of friction on the reinforcing strips with the result that the wall facing moves outwards; and (ii) relative settlement between the fill and the wall facing with the result that the reinforcing strips become inclined to the horizontal and their tension increases