Field Test of the Reinforced Gabion Retaining Wall, a New Kind of Compound that Supports and Retains Structure

Abstract

This study examines a new type of support structure, the compound reinforced gabion retaining wall used in slope protection engineering in Contract No. 12 of the Xiangtan-to-Hengyang express highway in China’s Hunan province. Through on-site monitoring, the study determines the distribution and variation law of the lateral pressure on the facing, the vertical earth pressure during the filling construction process, the tied-reinforcement deformation, and the shape of the rupture surface. The test results show that the vertical pressure of the reinforced soil retaining wall along the reinforcement is characterized by a distribution of single or double peaks, and the value is less than the theoretical value. The tested lateral pressure of the reinforced soil wall is nonlinear along the height. The lateral earth pressure on the upper wall is very small, even zero. However, the value of the region about 1.5 m near the bottom reaches the maximum. The tensile strain of each gabion mesh layer is increased as the load increases, and is decreased as time increases. Based on the testing of the potential slide surface and on the comparative analysis of potential slide surfaces using different methods, this work puts forward an improved double-broken line potential slide surface. These test results can be used to support the future application of this new type of reinforced earth retaining wall, and can serve as a reference in correlation studies and designs of similar projects.