Numerical Evaluation of Cross Necklace and Startail Reinforcement Configurations in MSE Retaining Walls

This study evaluates reinforcement configurations for mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls using numerical modelling. The “Cross Necklace” and “Startail” systems are compared against anchor-only baselines across varying center-to-center (CTC) spacings, with horizontal displacement and factor of safety (FoS) used as performance metrics. The configuration featuring a 30 × 30 cm Cross Necklace at a CTC spacing of 30 cm yielded the smallest horizontal displacement (30.5 mm) and the highest FoS (1.67), indicating the greatest stability among the tested models. Increasing CTC spacing systematically increased horizontal displacement. Models without a Cross Necklace or with anchors only exhibited significantly larger deformations; the anchor-only case resulted in 105 mm of displacement and an FoS of 1.44, falling below target stability criteria. Startail configurations showed greater deformation than the Cross Necklace but remained within acceptable safety limits. The superior performance of the 30 × 30 cm Cross Necklace is attributed to its larger cross-sectional area, which enhances interlock with the backfill, increases bearing capacity, and restrains lateral movement. Overall, Cross Necklace reinforcement at reduced CTC spacings offers an effective design solution for minimizing deformation and enhancing stability in MSE retaining walls. Keywords: mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall; Anchors; Cross Necklace; Startail.