SYNOPSIS

Outline:  This course covers the basics of reinforced soil structures (those constructed using geosynthetic polymer reinforcement), from material parameters, to methods of calculation used, and the factors required to ensure a safe design.  It includes both basic information and ideas, as well as more advanced techniques, including possible approaches to designing according to EC7 and EC8.  Information is presented which illustrates the performance of reinforced soil structures, under both static and seismic loading conditions, relating this to the design methods used.  The course is divided into four sessions, covering topics as follows:

(A) Material properties: soil, reinforcement, interaction and facings, with a specific consideration of durability
(B) Calculation procedures based on limiting equilibrium: for wall design (facing steeper than 70 deg), slope desgin (facing less steep than 70 deg) and stability analysis
(C) Walls versus slopes: is there a difference?
(D) Specific look at different methods of wall design, and their merits
(E) Inclusion of earthquake loading for the seismic design case
(F) Looking at the serviceability design case by limiting post-construction strain
(G) Specific look at applying stability analysis (method of slices) to reinforced soil strucutres
(H) Some comments on applying the FEM to reinforced soil structures
(I) Looking at factors used to achieve a satisfactory design: concept of factors applied to loads compared to factors applied to soil strength
(J) Introducing and comparing lumped safety factors with limit state design (BS 8006 and EC7)
(K) Performance under static loading
(L) Performance under seismic loading


BIODATA OF PRESENTER

Mr. Michael Dobie is a Geotechnical Engineer with more than 40 years of experience, including 28 years working in SE Asia (Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia). He graduated from Bristol University with a BSc in Civil Engineering, then a few years later from Imperial College, London with an MSc in Soil Mechanics.  His experience includes working for consulting engineers (WS Atkins & Partners and Acer Freeman Fox) and for geotechnical specialists (Delft Soil Mechanics Laboratory and Dames & Moore).

One assignment consisted of setting up and running the Central Soils Laboratory (CSL) in Bangi, Malaysia for the North-South Expressway project.  Since early 1991 Mike has been employed by Tensar International Limited as Regional Manager for Asia Pacific.  He has had extensive input into the development of design methods and software, including the design of reinforced soil structures under seismic loading conditions.  Mike’s office is in Jakarta, Indonesia.  Locally he is a Member of HATTI (Indonesian Geotechnical Society), and Vice President of the Indonesian Chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society (INA-IGS).  He is a Chartered engineer, a Fellow of ICE and also a Fellow of CIHT.  He is currently the Indonesia Country Representative of ICE.