Compressible mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall system and method for installation thereof

1. A system using wire mesh elements formed of vertical and horizontal wires for reinforcing soil, the system comprising:

a first wire mesh element having a first bend formed therein at a first angle to form first and second panels, wherein the second panel is oriented substantially horizontally and each vertical wire of the first panel extends upward from the second panel at the first angle and continues upward at the first angle until terminating at a distal end disposed at the first angle, and wherein a top-most horizontal wire of the first panel is at least a distance D+X from the distal end of each vertical wire; and

a second wire mesh element having a second bend formed therein at a second angle to form third and fourth panels, wherein the fourth panel is oriented substantially horizontally and each vertical wire of the third panel extends upward from the fourth panel at the second angle and terminates at a distal end disposed at the second angle,

wherein the second element is completely supported by backfill placed on only a portion and not covering all of the second panel, the backfill generating a void between the backfill and the first panel, and wherein the second element is positioned above the first element so that at least a portion of the vertical wires of the first panel penetrate the fourth panel to at least the distance D when the second panel is covered with backfill to a height of X above the top-most horizontal wire of the first panel, wherein X represents a maximum distance separating the top-most horizontal wire of the first panel from the fourth panel, and wherein the first and second elements are not in contact with each other, but may move vertically and laterally relative to one another as the value of X decreases due to compression of the backfill.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the vertical wires of the first panel penetrate the fourth panel proximate to the second bend.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a value of X is determined based on properties of the backfill.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the vertical and horizontal wires of the first panel are uniformly spaced to create a grid that has an apparent opening of uniform dimensions.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a backing mat attached to the first panel, wherein the backing mat includes a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced vertical and horizontal wires that create a grid with openings smaller than the openings formed by the vertical and horizontal wires of the first panel.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a substantially planar cap mat placed horizontally over the second L-shaped element, wherein the cap mat comprises a mesh fowled of a plurality of vertical and horizontal wires.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second angles are identical.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second angles are different.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the second and fourth panels are substantially parallel.

10. A method for constructing a mechanically stabilized earth welded wire soil-reinforcing system using a plurality of wire mesh L-shaped grids each having a substantially horizontal wire mesh soil reinforcing (SR) element and a face panel extending upwards from the SR element at an angle α, wherein each face panel includes horizontal wires and vertical wires having distal ends that extend a distance D beyond the top-most horizontal wire, the method comprising:

placing material on only a portion and not covering all of a first SR element of a first L-shaped grid, wherein a first void is generated between the material and a first face panel of the first L-shaped grid;

positioning a second L-shaped grid above the first L-shaped grid, wherein positioning of the second L-shaped grid includes:

resting at least a part of a second SR element of the second L-shaped grid on the material, wherein the second SR element of the second L-shaped grid is completely supported by the material;

placing at least some of the distal ends of the vertical wires of the first face panel through the wire mesh of the second SR element and proximate to a back face of a second face panel of the second SR element, each vertical wire extending at the angle α until terminating at a distal end, wherein the second SR element is supported by the material at a distance X from the top-most horizontal wire of the first face panel and does not bear on the first face panel, and wherein the first and second L-shaped grids are not in contact with each other but may move vertically and laterally relative to one another as the value of X decreases due to compression of the material.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

placing material on only a portion and not covering all of the second SR element, wherein a second void is generated left between the material and the second face panel of the second L-shaped grid; and

filling the first void between the material and the first face panel of the first L-shaped grid using the material.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising monitoring the filling of the first void to ensure that the second SR element remains substantially horizontal.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising monitoring the filling of the second void to ensure that the second SR element remains substantially parallel to the first SR element.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising calculating the distance X based on a compressibility of the material.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising attaching a backing mat to the first face panel, wherein the backing mat includes a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced vertical and horizontal wires that create a grid with openings smaller than the openings formed by the vertical and horizontal wires of the first face panel.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising placing a substantially planar cap mat horizontally over the second L-shaped grid, wherein the cap map comprises a mesh formed of a plurality of vertical and horizontal wires.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising calculating the angle α for each of the first and second L-shaped grids, wherein each angle α is calculated based on a desired shape of the soil-reinforcing system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the calculated angles are identical.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the calculated angles are different.