GRS-IBS system with double-twist steel-mesh and geogrids combination in Oosterweel Verbinding (Antwerp, Belgium)

The Oosterweel Link project is a new 15 km-long motorway connection for completing the Antwerp ring road R1 (Belgium). The total estimated cost of the project is approximately €4.5bn. The Antwerp ring road is a key part of the Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) Core Network. The design and building of the Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls have been done with Double-twist steel wire mesh (DT-Mesh) reinforcement in combination with geogrids. This system enables the construction of infrastructures in tight urban corridors, forming retaining walls, road embankments, wing walls, and bridge abutments known as Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge Systems (GRS-IBS). This approach represents an evolution and a significant advantage for both cost-effectiveness and performance.