Performance of mechanically stabilized earth wall system with geogrid with and without backfill pressure

A Mechanically Stabilized Earth wall system is one of the systems used in the construction of retaining walls, and it is one of the effective methods as it gives the soil resistance against tensile force by enhancing the internal friction forces. Among the important issues that are taken into consideration are the effects of the backfill exerting pressure on the retaining wall and the resulting horizontal displacements of the wall. This study aims to test the geo-reinforced retaining wall in Erbil soil (north of Iraq) using PLAXIS 3D software to verify the effect of lateral pressure on the behavior of the MSE wall. The research found that when the additional load was applied to the MSE retaining wall, there was a slight increase in the displacement. This indicates the efficiency of the MSE system with the reinforcements used within the soil and the effectiveness of the performance of the retaining wall in the presence or absence of additional loads.