Reinforced Earth Wall
The concept of reinforced earth wall system, which started to be used in Europe in the 1960s, is based on the principle of reinforcing the ground by reinforcement elements.
The main principle of this system is based on the friction force between the selected granular backfill and the steel strips. The system works on the principle of converting the vertical stresses in the backfill into horizontal frictional forces.
Reinforced Earth wall facade panels are not structural elements but visual elements of the system. Facade panels are produced and installed on site.
Today, reinforced soil systems are preferred by institutions such as Highways, TCDD, Municipalities, Organized Industrial Zones, etc.
Application Areas
- In highways, in the manufacture of intersections and in the manufacture of load-bearing sidewalks.
- In railways, as walls carrying the railway line or in TCDD Overpass Bridges.
- Municipality, Organized Industrial Zone, factory and parcel surroundings, stream and river reclamation.
- Other usage areas (Military structures etc.)
- Bridge approaches used in reinforced ground walls.
- Bridge sidewalks.
- Retaining structures.
- Water structures.
- River and stream rehabilitation.
- Airports.
- Slope Stabilization.
- Factory areas.
- Military structures.
Advantages of the system
- Safety of the system against earthquakes and applicability in weak soils, uniform distribution of the entire load of the system over a wider base thanks to its reinforced filling,
- manufacturing without the need for improvements such as bored piles and jet grouting,
- Being economical due to the need for lower amounts of concrete and iron compared to conventional retaining structures,
- High construction speed,
- Ease of workmanship and assembly,
- Aesthetic appearance, possibility of manufacturing different patterns, colors and logos,
Safety of the System
- Reinforced soil walls are more flexible than conventional reinforced concrete or masonry wall systems and perform well under earthquake loads. Thanks to its flexible structure, it tolerates lateral and vertical deformations in weak soils more than other systems.
- All of the material used is made of corrosion resistant galvanized material and the system is more advantageous than other systems in terms of service life.
- Since the first year the system was used, more than 2 million m² of walls have been manufactured in the world, and reinforced soil walls are frequently preferred retaining structures, especially in earthquake-prone countries (Japan and the USA).