PUTTING TECHNOLOGY TO WORK: MSEW AND RESLOPE FOR REINFORCED-SOIL-STRUCTURE DESIGN

The process for designing reinforced-soil structures involves trial and error; results in several acceptable reinforcement types and layouts; and hopefully leads to the selection of the most economical design. Using a computer program can take away the tedium associated with performing calculations by hand. But with either method, the designer needs to follow guidelines and repeat computations until an optimal design is achieved. MSEW and ReSlope software packages were recently released to assist professionals with the design process. While MSEW and ReSlope effectively help designers select reinforcement strength and layout, they do not deal directly with other aspects, such as construction and drainage. MSEW software follows the design guidelines stated in Federal Highway Administration Demonstration Project 82. The program complies with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, Interim 98. It is user-friendly software that includes two main operations: design and analysis. ReSlope is an interactive program for designing geosynthetic-reinforced steep slopes. The software produces the optimal reinforcement layout for given geometry and soil properties, water conditions, surcharge loads, geosynthetic strength, reduction factors, and design safety factors. It was specifically developed for geosynthetics and can be used for the design of commonly encountered slopes.