PROGRESS IN ENGINEERING APPLICATION AND
TECHNOLOGY
e-ISSN: 2773-5303 PEAT
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555
[Link]
Lateral Earth Pressure Analysis for Gabion Retaining Wall
Structure Design with Geogrid Optimisation: A Numerical
Study
Muhammad Ikhwan Arif Zamri1, Salina Sani1, Chee Ming Chan1
1Department of Civil Engineering Technology, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn
Malaysia, 84600 Muar, Johor, MALAYSIA
*Corresponding Author: salinas@[Link]
DOI: [Link]
Article Info Abstract
Received: 27 June 2024 Developing sustainable and economically earth retaining structures
Accepted: 30 June 2024 become essential, especially in the context of urbanization and
Available online: 25 November 2024 infrastructure development. Ensuring the safety of these structures is a
major concern in geotechnical engineering. This research addresses the
failure modes of natural clay slopes and backfill, emphasizing the need
Keywords
for effective gabion retaining walls to prevent collapse. Using PLAXIS 2D
Gabion Retaining Wall, PLAXIS 2D, finite element software, the study models the interaction between soil
Displacement and gabion structures, analysing lateral earth pressure distribution and
vertical displacement. Objectives of this study include evaluating
structural response towards lateral pressure and displacement
occurred, optimizing gabion retaining wall designs, and comparing FEM
results with manual calculations. This study explores two solutions for
enhancing gabion retaining wall performance: testing different vertical
layers to determine the most optimise design for retaining an 8-meter
height of backfill and examining the use of geogrid reinforcement in the
soil backfill under various loading conditions. The result is the step-
looking gabion retaining wall is the most optimise structure to be used
and can retain the soil backfill due to acceptable limit for vertical
displacement and low lateral effective earth pressure occurred on
gabion retaining wall.
1. Introduction
In recent years, the focus has shifted towards the development of sustainable structures, particularly in the
context of earth retaining structures. Ensuring safety of earth retaining structure in construction practices has
become a major concern in geotechnical engineering due to urbanisation and development of infrastructure. The
design of retaining structures plays an essential role in safeguarding against slope failure, depending on factors
such as soil properties, the mode of wall movement, soil-wall roughness, and the shape of the wall [1].
In Malaysia, gabion retaining wall structures are commonly employed for slope protection due to their
versatility, durability, ability to resist lateral earth pressure, permeability, ecological sustainability,
environmental protection, integrity, cost-effectiveness, and natural aesthetic appeal [2]. The typical approach
involves determining the forces on the wall by applying either the Rankine or Coulomb theories of earth
pressure after the properties of the retained soil have been estimated [3]. Furthermore, the hybrid system that
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555 550
involves integrating reinforced soil, geotextile, and other internal stabilisation methods into retaining structure
which can carry most of the lateral earth pressure [4].
Gabions are widely utilized in earth retaining structures due to their benefits, including stability, cost-
effectiveness, flexibility, and porosity [5]. PLAXIS 2D is the finite element software employed to model the
interaction between soil and structures using parameters derived from geological surveys and laboratory tests
[6]. This study focuses on analysing lateral earth pressure's distribution and its impact on earth retaining
structures in terms of technical efficiency, economic viability, and sustainable development.
1.1 Objective
The aim of this study is to:
• To evaluate the lateral earth pressure response on retaining structures under different design conditions
using the Finite Element Method (FEM).
• To formulate the optimised retaining structures design for the cut slopes conditions examined using FEM.
• To analyse and selected comparison result via FEM with manual calculations.
1.2 Scope of Study
This study focuses on analysing three conditions using PLAXIS 2D, including a cut slope with soil backfill, a
gabion retaining wall design arrangement, and the use of geogrid. This design of the gabion retaining wall
considers the surcharge load from road embankment and limited space availability of the construction site.
Then, the geogrid was added behind the gabion retaining to analyse the response to retain soil backfill which is
the vertical displacement and lateral pressure. PLAXIS 2D enables the assessment of soil structure behaviour
and stability, considering factors such as soil characteristic and structural element of retaining structure by
employing Finite Element Method (FEM) models. Then, the result obtained from the PLAXIS 2D is selected to
compare with the manual calculation to validate the accuracy and reliability of the PLAXIS 2D simulation. Three
phases with different conditions of design will be analysed for the lateral earth pressure and displacement of
gabion retaining wall using Finite Element Method (FEM).
2. Design Solution Implemented
Based on case condition before implementing two design solution, the initial design aims to demonstrate the
failure mode of the cut slope with backfill, excluding the gabion retaining wall. The case condition is focusing on
the natural slope is added with surcharge load. The value of the surcharge load is 218 kN/m for 15m long of the
road embankment.
(a) (b)
Fig. 1 Case Condition (a) Include Surcharge Load (b) Total Displacement Result
For the first solution of the case condition, a 1m×1m gabion retaining wall, known as a gravity wall, was utilised
in this phase. There are five different vertical layer use which is the base of the structure of gabion retaining wall
increase along with horizontal layer. One customises gabion layer which is the step-looking gabion is added due
to the typical gabion retaining wall used in construction [7]. Gabion in PLAXIS 2D is considered as soil and
interfaces in material selection [8] and gabion basket or mesh wire is considered as plate in PLAXIS 2D using
elastoplastic for the material type [9].
551 Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555
(a) (b)
Fig. 2 First Solution (a) Custom Gabion Wall Design (b) Total Displacement Result
For the second solution, the 16 layers of geogrid with spacing 500mm c/c from bottom of the soil backfill and
two different length which is 2m and 4m length is added into the back of the gabion retaining wall. All the
parameter for soil from case condition and first solution is not changed and permanently used in the design
simulation while integrating with eight layers of geogrid.
(a) (b)
Fig. 3 Second Solution (a) Custom Gabion Wall with Geogrid Design (b) Total Displacement Result
3. Numerical Modelling
The behaviour of a gabion retaining wall can be simulated using Finite Element Method (FEM) by considering
external forces, material and soil properties subjected to design of gabion retaining wall. However, PLAXIS 2D
limitation lies in its ability to evaluate the wall's behaviour primarily in a two-dimensional plane, which may not
fully represent the actual three-dimensional deformation. Gabion retaining wall is separated to two component
to simulate in PLAXIS 2D which is soil and interfaces for gabion and plate for wire mesh of gabion basket [9]. For
this study, the Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model is used to simulate stress-strain behaviour in both the backfill
and existing ground. PLAXIS 2D consists of three programs: input, calculation, and output. It can analyse plane
strain or axisymmetric scenarios with either (a) 15 or (b) six nodes triangular nodules. The PLAXIS 2D program
operated through five modes to execute the simulation which is: Soil Mode, Structure mode, Mesh mode, Flow
Condition mode, and Staged Construction mode. These modes are sequentially employed to conduct
geotechnical modelling.
Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555 552
Fig. 4 Process of Numerical Modelling in PLAXIS 2D
The model was analysed using a two-dimensional plain strain model with 15-noded elements for 3m retained
soil and 10 m embedment. Limit for the soil contour are xmin =0.0 m, xmax =30.0 m, ymin =0.0 m, and ymax =13.0 m.
In the Soil mode, the input of soil properties and gabion properties shows in Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3.
Table 1 Soil Properties for Backfill […..]
Parameter Clay Unit
Type Undrained (A) -
γsat 18 kN/m3
γunsat 18 kN/m3
E 30000 kN/m2
v’ 0.3 kN/m2
c’ ref 1 kN/m2
φ′ 35 -
R inter 0.5 -
Table 2 Soil Properties for Natural Slope [….]
Parameter Clay Unit
Type Undrained (A) -
γsat 18 kN/m3
γunsat 18 kN/m3
E 60000 kN/m2
v’ 0.3 kN/m2
c’ ref 1 kN/m2
φ′ 30 -
R inter 0.5 -
553 Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555
Table 3 Gabion Properties [….]
Parameter Clay Unit
Type Undrained (A) -
γsat 18 kN/m3
γunsat 18 kN/m3
E 40000 kN/m2
v’ 0.3 kN/m2
c’ ref 27 kN/m2
φ′ 40 -
R inter 1 -
The structure properties than applied to the soil structure which is the gabion wire mesh and geogrid. The
gabion basket or mesh wire is considered as plate in PLAXIS 2D using elastoplastic for the material type [9]. The
customise gabion retaining wall is added with geogrid for each horizontal layer of the gabion which is 16 layers
of geogrid due to spacing of each layer is 500mm c/c. From the bottom layer until the fourth layer, the length of
the geogrid is 2m and continued with 4m length of geogrid. Table 4 and Table 5 shows the properties used in
PLAXIS 2D.
Table 4 Gabion Wire Mesh Properties […]
Parameter Name Value Unit
Type of behaviour Material type Elastoplastic
Axial stiffness 62832 kN/m
Flexural rigidity 0.251 kNm2/m
Weight 0.023 kN/m/m
Poisson’s ratio 0.3 -
Maximum bending 0.23 kN/m/m
moment
Maximum Axial 135 kN/m
Force
Table 4 Geogrid Properties […]
Parameter Name Value Unit
Type of behaviour Material type Elastoplastic -
Axial stiffness 3000 kN/m
Maximum Axial 300 kN/m
Force
4. Result
The vertical displacement on base of each gabion increases due to the gabion layers increase. The vertical
displacement or the settlement occurred due their self-weight of each gabion layer, but the displacement of
them is not exceed limitation which is 150mm[8]. This mean all the design can be implemented on the site but
must consider other factor such as ground water level, the properties of each material, the magnitude and value
of the surcharge, and lateral earth acting on them. This consideration is crucial to increase the efficiency of the
gabion retaining wall to the maximum potential. For the result obtained, the custom gabion wall is preferable
due to acceptable displacement, and the less gabion consumed to retain the soil backfill. The three nodes were
taken from different sections of the gabion wire mesh: one from the front, one from the middle, and one from the
section in front of the backfill. The geogrid is reducing the vertical displacement from 0.48 mm, 0.91 mm, 1.00
mm to 0.21 mm,0.94 mm, 0.90 mm.
Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555 554
(a) (b)
Fig 5 Vertical Displacement (a) Custom Gabion (b) Custom Gabion with Geogrid
The lateral effective earth pressure is obtained from PLAXIS 2D is compared with the manual calculation using
manual calculation. The result obtained is -61.3 kN/m2 for the soil backfill. The negative value means the lateral
pressure moves from right to left side.
Table 5 Lateral Effective Earth Pressure Value
Parameter Value Description
10 0.4264 Normal
consolidation
16 Unsaturated unit
weight
18 Saturated unit
weight
8 Soil unsaturated
backfills
0 Soil saturated
backfills
Lateral effective Earth Pressure Manual Calculation
From the data obtained in PLAXIS 2D, the five layer and custom layer that have 5 m base produce less lateral
effective earth pressure. This means the lateral effective earth pressure is reduce significantly due to gabion
retaining wall exist and with support from geogrid, the custom gabion retaining wall design has significantly
reduced from -50.5 kN/m2 to -48.1 kN/m2. Table 6 shows the overall results from PLAXIS 2D for all design used.
Table 6 Lateral Effective Earth Pressure for All Design
Total Vertical Layer of Gabion Wall Lateral Effective Earth Pressure
(kN/m2)
1 -58.9
2 -53.8
3 -56.6
4 -62.6
5 -49.2
Custom -50.5
Custom with Geogrid -48.1
555 Progress in Engineering Application and Technology Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024) p. 549-555
5. Conclusion
In summary, the gabion retaining wall has significant design that must be follow according to standard of the
construction. The real-life event has more complicated than simulation, but it can give initial view for
construction of the gabion retaining wall. The result obtain shows that the base for gabion of the must be
increased to enable the stabilisation of gabion retaining wall design. The utilisation of PLAXIS 2D is essential in
analysing the lateral effective earth pressure and displacement of the gabion retaining wall.
Acknowledgement
I am deeply grateful to Allah S.W.T for granting me the strength to complete this study. I extend my heartfelt
appreciation to my supervisor, Pn. Salina binti Sani, and my co-supervisor, Prof. Ir. Dr. Chan Chee Ming, for their
unwavering support and cooperation throughout the duration of this project.
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