Technical information

Issued: May 2009

Reinforced Earth Walls

TerraTrel®
Construction of walls with TerraTrel® wire mesh facing

TerraTrel® is the welded, wire mesh faced Reinforced Earth retaining wall system.
Reinforced Earth structures combine selected granular, engineered backfill with steel
reinforcement and a modular facing system. This unrivalled combination creates a
durable, mass gravity retaining wall. The technique is adaptable to retaining walls
of any practical height. Reinforced Earth structures are capable of supporting their
own weight together with very high dead and live loads imposed by associated
structures and vehicles.

FRONT COVER: 10m high TerraTrel®

Reinforced Earth retaining wall supporting
the Princes Highway above Myrtle Gully,
southern NSW.
THIS PAGE: A temporary wire wall is used
at North Kiama Bypass, NSW, to stage the
construction of the new overpass and
TechSpan® rail tunnel.
FAR RIGHT PAGE (left to right, top to bottom):
Backfilling of Air Tawar Barge Wharf quay
wall, Indonesia.
Attaching REhas® strip to TerraTrel® panel,
Jindabyne Spillway retaining wall, NSW.
Placing second course of panels, Jindabyne
Spillway retaining wall, NSW.
Placing backfill to a dump wall for Iluka
Resources. Waroona, WA.
Geotextile separates rock face and backfill
on an Epping Road retaining wall, NSW.
Construction of an 18m high retaining wall
and bridge abutment on the Ugie to Langeni
road project, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Formwork ensures a neat finish and facilitates
the installation of a safety barrier.
Why TerraTrel®?
• It is an alternative low-cost facing system for Reinforced Earth structures.
• The welded wire mesh panels, which are supplied in customised sizes,
are lightweight to transport to remote sites.
• The panels are easily and rapidly erected without the use of heavy
lifting equipment.
• Panels can be easily assembled and disassembled, making TerraTrel®
ideal for temporary or staged works.
• Can be designed for permanent or temporary applications.
• Ability to adapt to deformations in the subgrade.
• Formwork is not required in order to establish the front face.
• Large savings in cost compared with more conventional structures.
• Structure can be built completely from behind therefore not interfering
with access/traffic or obstacles in front of the wall.

TerraTrel® panel specification

Shape Typically flat
Size 3m x 0.72m (permanent)
Weight 33.3kg (permanent)
Material Galvanised or black steel
Finish Crushed rock on permanent structures

TerraTrel® Reinforced Earth system components

Foundation
Excavated and proof rolled foundation serves as a flat starting surface for
placing panels.

TerraTrel® facing panels

Panel size varies depending on application. Panels may be black or
galvanised depending on design life.

Geotextile
Filter cloth 1500mm wide for separation between crushed rock and
select backfill material for permanent TerraTrel® walls. For temporary
structures, 1000mm filter cloth is used and it is placed directly behind the
panel face to prevent the escape of select backfill.

Reinforcement
REhas® (Reinforced Earth High Adhesion Steel) strips are non-extensible
and are unmatched for structural capacity and reliability. The REhas®
strips are bolted to the panels at the horizontal joints, and can be easily
skewed to avoid pile forms where necessary. Longer length strips can be
achieved through joining on site. Reinforcing strips are connected to
facing panels with M12 Grade 10.9 galvanised bolts, nuts and washers.

Backfill
Backfill complying with the Technical Specification shall be used in the
Reinforced Earth block.

TerraTrel®
Where is TerraTrel® used? construction manual available from and tie points – securing to props with tie
Reinforced Earth technology has RECO for specific items required. wire. Place second row of panels and tie
revolutionised construction with wide- points, using temporary construction bars
Unloading and storage
ranging uses in transport, mining, industry, to maintain alignment during construction.
of components
energy, water, and military infrastructure. Check vertical and horizontal alignments.
Facing panels are bundled for transport with
TerraTrel® is a Reinforced Earth wall Secure reinforcing strips to the base
no more than twenty panels per bundle.
system commonly used for retaining of the first panel row and install geotextile
Bundles should be stored on timber
walls for road widening, embankment so that select backfill does not encroach
dunnage clear of the ground, adequately
steepening, temporary ramps, staged onto the crushed rock (permanent
supported to prevent undue bending.
bridge construction and environmental structures) or against the facing panel
Once ready for placement each unit is
landscaping. TerraTrel® provides an (temporary structures).
removed from the bundle and placed in the
alternative low-cost facing for Reinforced Place backfill in layers to achieve the
wall. The reinforcing strips are delivered
Earth structures and can be designed for required compaction. Hand compaction
in bundles up to 100 pieces with a
both temporary and permanent applications. is carried out in the zone 1.5m from the
maximum length of 7m. Longer strips, if
Supply of materials and services needed, are joined on site. The strips back of the panels; the remaining area
The Reinforced Earth Company (RECO) must be bundled in a neat and orderly is compacted using heavy equipment.
supplies the following: stockpile clear of the ground. Geotextile Install next layer of facing panels,
• engineering and design of the is supplied in rolls up to 150m long and reinforcing strips, geotextile and backfill.
Reinforced Earth structure; is either 1000mm or 1500mm wide. Carefully backfill behind the facing with
• all facing panels and soil reinforcing Bolts, nuts and washers are supplied in crushed rock (permanent structures) or
strips; bags and should be secured in a locked select fill (temporary structures).
• all nuts, bolts and washers; storage yard along with the geotextile. Subsequent courses of panels
• geotextile; The sequence is repeated for all remaining
Construction summary
• TerraTrel® support brackets (two per layers maintaining a regular check on
Site preparation
panel – loaned to contractor); vertical and horizontal alignments.
Site preparation involves excavation,
• delivery of the above materials to site
proof rolling the foundation, installing Completion of the wall
FOT (free on truck);
drainage systems as required and The top tie point is located approximately
• on-site technical advice and guidance.
establishing a wall control line for the first 100mm from the top of the wall. In some
The contractor is responsible for supplying
course of panels.
equipment for backfilling and compaction, instances it may be required to drape the
as well as miscellaneous tools and small Initial courses of panels top two reinforcing strips (at a slope no
items for panel placement. Please refer Install posts along a control line (two per greater than 4:1) to provide the specified
to the comprehensive TerraTrel® panel) and place the first course of panels minimum embedment depth.

General backfill

TerraTrel® facing panels

Reinforced Earth block
(select backfill)

REhas® reinforcing strips

Drainage layer

Geotextile between
select fill and rock

Rock
Backfill

Placing and compaction of the Chemical and electrochemical provided that the minimum requirements
select backfill properties of RECO are met.
The select backfill is placed and compacted The pH value, as determined by the
Crew size and production rates
in layers. Steel tracked equipment should Australian Standards, should lie between
not come into direct contact with the 5 and 10. A typical wall erection crew averages
reinforcing strips. Heavy equipment The electrical resistivity, as determined three men and a foreman. Construction
should not come within 1.5 metres of the by the Australian Standards, should be rates for Reinforced Earth structures
wall face. Compact close to the wall with greater than 50-ohm metres. If the generally depend on the rates at which
hand operated vibrating plates or rollers. resistivity is between 10 and 50 ohm metres backfill can be placed and compacted,
The degree of compaction required then the material is acceptable only if: the complexity of the wall geometry and
is stated in the project specification, • the chloride (CI-) content is less than vehicle access.
but in any case should not be less than 200mg per kg (0.02 percent); and If the site and backfill materials are
95 percent of the maximum dry density • the sulphate (SO) content is less than accessible, the daily production rate can
(Standard Compaction). 1000mg per kg (0.10 percent). generally be estimated as follows:
The backfill should never be placed Details of the selection criteria can be • determine the average daily rate of
with a moisture content higher than obtained from RECO. backfill placement and compaction.
Optimum Moisture Content. Earth backfill, which does not meet Include general backfill as well as the
the standard criteria, may be acceptable select backfill within the Reinforced
Choice of select backfill
subject to design review and additional Earth block;
A Reinforced Earth wall requires a select,
testing. All backfill which is proposed for • divide the backfill rate (expressed in
non-plastic, granular backfill material for
use in Reinforced Earth structures should volume per day) by the average width
dry land structures (see table below).
be tested to confirm that the criteria
of backfill to be placed, from the
Physical characteristics specified is satisfied and test results
panels to the rear limit of backfilling.
The grading curve for select backfill must should be sent to RECO for approval.
This determines the average face
be within the limits of the non-shaded NOTE: The chemical and
zones shown in the diagram below. electrochemical properties stated area of wall that backfilling will allow
In the first instance, material with less describe the standard requirements of to be placed in a day.
than 15 percent of a sample passing a RECO for the Reinforced Earth Structure Experience has shown that a typical four-
75 micron sieve is acceptable without using steel soil reinforcement. In the man crew will construct on average 30 to
further physical testing provided the event of any conflict with the Head 50m2 of wall area per eight hour shift,
whole sample passes a 150mm sieve Contract Specification, the Head providing that backfilling and compaction
if Cu is greater than 2. Contract Specification shall govern keep pace with panel and strip placement.

Paper is 50% recycled from post consumer waste, 50% fibre from sustainable forestry, independently certified, ISO 14001, manufactured with renewable energy
0 .0 0 1 0 .0 1 0 .1 1 10 100

HYDROMETER SIEVE ANALYSIS

100
15µm 75µm 150mm
90

80
PERCENTAGE FINER

70

60 Grading curve in non-shaded

OUTSIDE LIMITS zone is acceptable if OUTSIDE
50 Cu = D60 / D10 > 2 LIMITS
40

30

20 20%
Satisfactory only if Ø>36° 15%
10%
10

0
CLAY SILT SAND GRAVEL COBBLES BOULDERS

0 .0 0 2 0 .0 6 2 60 200
GRAIN SIZE (mm)

Reinforced Earth Pty Limited Reinforced Earth Limited

PO Box 1521 PO Box 72_734
Hornsby Westfield NSW 2077 Australia Papakura Auckland New Zealand
Ph +61 2 9910 9910 Ph +64 9 236 3385
Fax +61 2 9910 9999 Fax +64 9 236 3385
Quality
® Registered Trade Marks of Reinforced Earth Pty Limited www.reinforcedearth.com.au www.reinforcedearth.co.nz ISO 9001