Stability of Geosynthetic Reinforced

Retaining Wall
Updated 07/2025

Stability of Geosynthetic Reinforced

Retaining Wall
Created By: Roozbeh Geraili Mikola, PhD, PE
Email: hyrcan4geo@[Link]
Web Page: [Link]
0.0,8.3 9.1,8.3
16.0,7.5
24.0,6.5
Wall
0.60 19.5,6.0

-1.0,0.0 0.25

0.0,0.0 9.1,0.0
Backfill
-14.0,-4.5
-23.0,-5.0
-1.5,-7.0
-23.0,-7.5 -12.0,-5.5 -7.0,-7.5 24.0,-7.0

-4.5,-8.0
Glacial till

-23.0,-15.0 24.0,-15.0

This tutorial will demonstrate the modeling of a geosynthetic reinforced retaining wall in HYRCAN.
Five different types of slope reinforcement can be modeled in HYRCAN, including soil nails,
geosynthetics, tiebacks, end anchored rock bolts and piles.

Project Settings
Various important modeling and analysis options are set in the Project Settings dialog, including
Failure Direction, Units of Measurement, Analysis Methods and Groundwater property. For this
analysis make sure the failure direction is set to “Right to Left” then press Apply. From the
Methods tab you also will be able to select the limit equilibrium analysis method(s) to be used for
the analysis.

Select: Analysis 
Project Settings

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 Stability of Geosynthetic Reinforced
Retaining Wall
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Figure 1- Project Settings dialog.

Create Geometry
 External Boundaries
The first boundary that must be defined for every model, is the external boundary. To add the
external boundary, select External Boundary from the toolbar or the Boundaries menu.

Select: Geometry 
External Boundary
Enter the following coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the main window.
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: -23.0,-5.0 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 16.0,7.5
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: -14.0,-4.5 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 19.5,6.0
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: -12.0,-5.5 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 24.0,6.5
Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: -1.0,0.0 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 24.0,-15.0
Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 0.0,0.0 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: -23.0,-15.0
Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 0.0,8.3 Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: c
Enter vertex [c=close,esc=cancel]: 9.1,8.3

Note that entering c after the last vertex has been entered, automatically connects the first and
last vertices (closes the boundary) and exits the External Boundary option. Your screen should
now look as follows:

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Retaining Wall
Updated 07/2025

Figure 2- External boundary is created.

 Material Boundaries
Material boundaries are used in HYRCAN to define the boundaries between different material
regions within the External Boundary. Let’s add two material boundaries.

Select: Geometry 
Material Boundary
Enter the following coordinates in the prompt line at the bottom right of the main window.
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: -23.0,-7.5
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: -7.0,-7.5
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: -4.5,-8.0
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: -1.5,-7.0
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: 24.0,-7.0
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: d

Repeat the sequence and enter the following coordinates in the prompt line.
Enter vertex [esc=cancel]: 0.0,0.0
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: 9.1,0.0
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: 9.1,8.3
Enter vertex [d=done,esc=cancel]: d

Your screen should now look as follows:

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 Stability of Geosynthetic Reinforced
Retaining Wall
Updated 07/2025

Figure 3- External and material boundaries added.

Properties
It’s time to define our material properties. Select Define Materials from the toolbar or the
Properties menu.

Select: Properties 
Define Materials

Material γ (kN/m3) c (kN/m2) φ (degrees)

Backfill 21.7 1.0 33.0
Wall 20.4 0.0 41.0
Glacial till 20 2.0 54.0

With the first (default) tab selected in the Define Materials dialog, enter the following properties:

Enter the parameters shown above. When all parameters are entered press Apply.

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Retaining Wall
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Assigning Properties
Since we have defined multiple materials, it will be necessary to assign properties to the correct
regions of the model, using the Assign Properties option. Select Assign Properties from the
toolbar or the Properties menu.

Select: Properties 
Assign Properties
You will see the Assign Materials dialog, shown below.

To assign properties to the soil layers:

1. Use the mouse to select the soil material, in the Assign Materials dialog (notice that the
material names are the names you entered in the Define Material Properties dialog).
2. Now place the cursor anywhere in the soil region and click the left mouse button. Repeat
the same sequence for other soil materials until all the materials are assigned.

Figure 4- Geometry setup after assigning the properties.

Add Support Pattern

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Retaining Wall
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Before adding the support let’s first define the support type and corresponding properties. To do
so, select Define Support from the toolbar or the Properties menu.

Select: Properties 
Define Support
With the first (default) tab selected in the Define Materials dialog, enter the following properties:
Strip Tensile Friction
Support Adhesion
Name Coverage Strength Angle
Type (kPa)
(%) (kN/m) (deg.)
Type 1 111
Geotextile Type 2 100 71 0 41
Type 3 42

Please Note that, the “Force Application” and “Force Orientation” for all three support types
are “Passive” and “Parallel to Reinforcement” respectively.

Now let’s add Support elements. Support elements can be added to a model individually, with the
Add Single Support option in the Support menu. If multiple support elements in a regular pattern
are to be added, you can use the Add Support Pattern option in the Support menu. In this tutorial
We will use the Add Support Pattern option, to add a uniformly spaced support pattern to the
slope.

Select: Support 
Add Support Pattern
You will first see the Support Pattern dialog. Select support property “Type 1” and set the
Orientation = Horizontal, Length = 9.0, and Distance between supports = 0.6 as shown in Figure
5 then press Apply. Now as you move the cursor, you will see a small black cross which follows
the cursor and snaps to the nearest point on the nearest boundary. You can enter the location of
start and end points of the pattern graphically, on the external boundary. However, to enter exact
coordinates, it is easier and more accurate in this case to enter the coordinates in the prompt line.
Let’s enter the first and second points on the boundary to install the first seven geotextiles:

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Retaining Wall
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Enter first point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,0.25
Enter second point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,3.9

Repeat the sequence to install the next four geotextiles (i.e. Type 2) and enter the points as
follow:
Enter first point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,4.45
Enter second point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,6.5

And for last three geotextiles (i.e. Type 3):

Enter first point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,6.85
Enter second point on boundary [esc=cancel]: 0,8.3

Note that Add Single Support could be used instead of Add Support Pattern to install the
geotextiles individually.

Figure 5- Add Support Pattern dialog.

Figure 6- Geometry setup with installed geotextiles.

Modifying the Slope Limits

The Slope Limits are automatically calculated by HYRCAN as soon as the External Boundary
is created. If you wish to narrow the Slope Search to more specific areas of the model, the Slope
Limits can be customized with the Define Limits dialog.

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Retaining Wall
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Select: Surfaces 
Define Slope Limits

In this tutorial the left and right coordinates are set to -14 and -1 and the left and right coordinates
of the second set of limits are set to 2 and 19.5. Later on, by refining the slope limits you will be
able to estimate more accurate global minimum slip surface. We are now finished creating the
model, and can proceed to run the analysis and interpret the results.

Compute
The model is now ready to run.

Select: Analysis 
Compute
The engine will proceed in running the analysis. When completed, you are ready to view the
results in Result Tab.

Results and Discussions

When calculation completed, you are ready to view the results in Result Tab. By default, when
Result Tab opened, the Global Minimum slip surface, for the first activated limit equilibrium
analysis method will be shown. This resulted in total of approximately 7500 trial slip surfaces. The
results of the factor of safety calculation are shown in Figure 7. Table 1 summarize the
comparisons of calculated factor of safety for the same model using Slide2, a well-known
commercial program.
Table 1- Comparison of Minimum Factor of Safety
Method Slide2 HYRCAN
Bishop Simplified 1.493 1.466
GLE/Morgenstern-Price 1.495 1.468
Janbu Simplified 1.328 1.328
Spencer 1.494 1.465

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Retaining Wall
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Figure 7- Result of automatic slope search.

To view ALL valid slip surfaces generated by the analysis, select the All Surfaces option from
the toolbar or the Result menu.

Select: Result 
All Surfaces

Figure 8- Circular surface search – All surfaces shown.

The Show Slices option can be used to display the actual slices used in the analysis.

Select: Result 
Show Slices

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Retaining Wall
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Figure 9- Slice displayed.

HYRCAN will also display the mobilized force in each support when Show Slices option is turned
on.

Script
After finishing the model, you will be able to save the generated script by HYRCAN in the text file.

Select:

The commands for this tutorial are listed below.

newmodel()

set("failureDir","r2l")

extboundary(-23,-5,-14,-4.5,-12,-5.5,-1,0,0,0,0,8.3,9.1,8.3,16,7.5,19.5,6,24,6.5,24,-15,-23,-15,-
23,-5)

matboundary(-23,-7.5,-7,-7.5,-4.5,-8,-1.5,-7,24,-7)
matboundary(0,0,9.1,0,9.1,8.3)

definemat("ground","matID",1,"matName","Backfill","uw",21.7,"cohesion",1,"friction",33)
definemat("ground","matID",2,"matName","Wall","uw",20.4,"cohesion",0,"friction",41)
definemat("ground","matID",3,"matName","Glacial till","uw",20,"cohesion",2,"friction",54)

assignsoilmat("matid",2,"atpoint",7,5)
assignsoilmat("matid",3,"atpoint",7,-11)

definemat("support","matID",1,"supportType","GeoTextile","matName","Type
1","forceApp","passive","stripTensile",111,"stripAdhesion",0,"stripFricAngle",41)
definemat("support","matID",2,"supportType","GeoTextile","matName","Type
2","forceApp","passive","stripTensile",71,"stripAdhesion",0,"stripFricAngle",41)
definemat("support","matID",3,"supportType","GeoTextile","matName","Type
3","forceApp","passive","stripTensile",42,"stripAdhesion",0,"stripFricAngle",41)

addsupport("pattern","id",1,"matid",1,"orientation","horizontal","length",9,"spaced","along","dis
t",0.6,"frompoint",0,0.25,"topoint",0,3.9)
addsupport("pattern","id",1,"matid",2,"orientation","horizontal","length",9,"spaced","along","dis
t",0.6,"frompoint",0,4.45,"topoint",0,6.5)

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Retaining Wall
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addsupport("pattern","id",1,"matid",3,"orientation","horizontal","length",9,"spaced","along","dis
t",0.6,"frompoint",0,6.85,"topoint",0,8.3)

definelimits("limit",-14,-1,"limit2",2,19.5)

set("Method","BishopSim","on","Method","GLE/M-
P","on","Method","JanbuSim","on","Method","Spencer","on")

compute()

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