Construction and monitoring of a 22.5 m high geosynthetic reinforced segmental retaining wall in India

Widening of a hill road leading to a hill top temple in the town of Vijayawada, India required the construction of a 22 m high retaining wall. The option of segmental retaining wall using geosynthetics was chosen among the other options such as a bridge, widening by blasting of the hill based on technical feasibility and cost economics. The reinforced soil wall was constructed using high strength polyester reinforcing geocomposite with a locally available murum soil as reinforced fill. The retaining walls constructed using soils having low permeability experience distress in the long run. Hence, special care was taken during the construction to keep the backfill soil as dry as possible. This paper reviews some aspects of the design and construction of this wall, highest of this kind in India at the present time.