Reinforced earth

Excerpt

The technique of reinforcing earth in the direction of maximum tensile stress with a material of high tensile strength is not new. Nature's example of plant roots strengthening the soil has been imitated by engineers throughout the ages; twigs and sticks have long been used to reinforce dams and embankments (Schlosser and Vidal, 1969; Schlosser, 1973). Although a patent in 1930 was granted to Andreas Munster in the United States for a reinforced earth retaining wall, present methods are based on the work of the French engineer Henri Vidal in the early 1960s. Because of their economy, this patented method and others have become widely used in many countries for earth retaining structures. …