Study of the global factor of safety for mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSE) using numerical modelling

Abstract. Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls (MSE) have gained popularity as a cost-effective, straightforward, and fast alternative to various retaining methods in recent years. Understanding the behaviour and performance of these walls is of utmost importance. This study aims to create a numerical model for assessing the effectiveness of a fully instrumented Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) wall in New Cairo, Egypt. The purpose of the study is to investigate the wall's safety factor. The PLAXIS 2D program is used to generate a numerical model using finite element analysis. The model is verified by comparing model results with the field measurements. The paper examines the impact of different factors on the safety factor of MSE walls, including vertical spacing between reinforcement layers, axial stiffness of geogrid, angle of internal friction of the reinforced soil, aspect ratio of the wall, surcharge loading and height of the wall. Furthermore, the length of the reinforced soil and the value of Surcharge loading are the most significant factors that have an impact on the global safety factor of the MSE wall.