Abstract: This paper presents a case history of the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall hazard remediation project in a primary school in Longyan, Fujian Province. Based on the understanding of the general subsurface conditions of the project, the failure characteristics of the MSE wall are obtained through the on-site geological survey. Combined with the original design data, the failure triggering factors of the hazards are identified. The main factors include the rise of groundwater level in the wall due to the rainfall, the increase of hydrostatic pressure, and the fracture of the connectors that connecting the ecological bags. Based on the deformation characteristics and triggering factors, a physical and mechanical model of the MSE wall is established. The finite element simulation is performed with Phase2 software. The failure characteristics are in general consistent with those observed in the field, and the failure mechanism of the MSE wall in this project was obtained. Finally, the mitigation plan by using the soil nailing wall plus shotcrete panel plus drainage are proposed for various defect conditions. The remediation result is satisfactory after the implementation of the mitigation plan, which provides a good reference for the treatment of MSE wall with similar hazards.

Key words: Mechanically Stabilized Earth Retaining Wall, Failure Mechanism, Physical and Mechanical Model, Numerical Simulation, Hazard Remediation