MSEWände

MSEWände, also known as Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls, are a type of retaining wall system used in civil engineering and construction. They consist of a compacted granular fill material reinforced with metallic or geosynthetic strips, mesh, or mats. These reinforcing elements are typically placed horizontally within the fill at regular intervals. The facing of the wall, which is visible from the exterior, can be made of precast concrete panels, modular blocks, or wire mesh.

The principle behind MSEWände is that the reinforcing elements create tensile strength within the soil mass, effectively creating a composite material that can withstand the lateral earth pressures. This internal reinforcement allows the wall to stand at a steeper angle than a conventional gravity retaining wall, requiring less space. The design of an MSEWände involves calculating the internal stability, which relates to the pullout resistance and tensile strength of the reinforcement, and external stability, which considers overturning, sliding, and bearing capacity.

MSEWände are widely used for various applications, including highway and railway embankments, bridge abutments, coastal defenses, and landslide remediation. Their advantages include cost-effectiveness, adaptability to different site conditions, rapid construction, and aesthetic versatility due to the variety of facing materials available. They are considered a sustainable solution as they often utilize local fill materials and can be designed to accommodate seismic loading.