Abstract: Reinforced retaining wall has been widely used as a light-weight retaining structure. The advantages and disadvantages of three designing methods for reinforced retaining wall respectively based on limit equilibrium method, limit state method and numerical simulation method are compared and analyzed. The designing methods and design steps of reinforced retaining wall are summarized based on domestic and foreign specifications (guides). Issues such as the shape of potential failure surface, the lateral earth pressure coefficient at the wall back, the selection of filling material for retaining wall, the selection of reinforcement material, the designed strength of reinforcement and the multistage reinforced retaining wall are discussed. In view of the conservatism in the design method based on limit equilibrium, it is recommended to consider different factors such as partial material factor, partial load factor and partial destruction factor under different circumstances. The research results could be reference for establishing rational design method of reinforced retaining wall.

Key words: reinforced retaining wall, design method, reinforcement, filler, strength