A 12-m high geosynthetic-reinforced residual soil slope

A 12-m high steep slope was to be cut in residual soil to make way for the construction of a new road in the Bukit Panjang district, Singapore. Numerous technical and environmental requirements imposed construction of a retaining structure for the resulting steep soil slope. Being in the vicinity of a nature park, the proposed structure should blend aesthetically with its environment. It, too, had to be inclined at about 60 degrees to create the needed space. Field instrumentation comprising total pressure cells, piezometers, standpipes, tensiometers, inclinometers and settlement devices were installed and monitored regularly. A large number of strain gauges were also installed on the geotextiles to monitor the strain development with construction and subsequent slope behavior. This paper presents the monitored construction, field pullout tests and preliminary short-term performance of the 12m high geosynthetics reinforced slope in residual soil.