POLYMER AND COMPOSITE-BASED GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENTS FOR SEISMIC STABILITY OF SOIL RETAINING STRUCTURES: MATERIALS, MECHANICS, AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW

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Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | 04 | Page :
By

Niranjan Singh,

Ashish Gupta,

  1. PhD Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering, Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jhansi, India
  2. Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jhansi, India

Abstract

Geosynthetic materials based on polymer and composites have become important items for the structural performance and seismic resilience of the reinforced soil retaining systems. Mechanically stabilized earth  walls in recent geotechnical engineering practice are increasingly based on enhanced polymeric reinforcements for enhanced tensile strength, durability, flexibility, and energy dissipation under dynamic loading. High-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites are usually used. The present review focus on the recent developments in polymer and composite geosynthetics, their material properties, interfacial behaviour, behaviour during earthquakes loading. The tensile stiffness, creep resistance, compatibility of strain, pullout and the mechanism of soil-reinforcement interaction are the most important properties that are studied critically in terms of materials engineering. The research combines experimental research, such as shaking table tests, centrifuge modeling, and large-scale field tests, and analytical and numerical methods, such as finite element modelling and nonlinear time-history analysis. Particular focus is on the role of the polymer microstructure, composite architecture, and long-term stability in the control of seismic response. This review also compares traditional pseudo-static and more advanced pseudo-dynamic design techniques and the significance of the time-dependent wave propagation effects in real seismic evaluation. Also, the available international design standards are critically examined in order to determine the limitations in dealing with polymer specific behaviour and composite performance in seismic loading. The paper highlights the importance of combining advanced material characterization with the performance based seismic design frameworks to maximize reliability and safety of polymer reinforced soil structures in the earthquake prone areas.

Keywords: Polymer composites; Geosynthetics; Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP); Soil–reinforcement interaction; Seismic stability; Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls; Creep behaviour; Pullout resistance; Smart geosynthetics; Sustainable polymers; Finite element analysis; Time-history analysis

How to cite this article: Niranjan Singh, Ashish Gupta. POLYMER AND COMPOSITE-BASED GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENTS FOR SEISMIC STABILITY OF SOIL RETAINING STRUCTURES: MATERIALS, MECHANICS, AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(04):-.
How to cite this URL: Niranjan Singh, Ashish Gupta. POLYMER AND COMPOSITE-BASED GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCEMENTS FOR SEISMIC STABILITY OF SOIL RETAINING STRUCTURES: MATERIALS, MECHANICS, AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(04):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=251973

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Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
04
Received 06/04/2026
Accepted 24/06/2026
Published 08/08/2026
Publication Time 124 Days

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