Abstract: In order to study the structural characteristics of earth retaining wall reinforced with double twisted hexagonal steel wire mesh, a field experiment is conducted on a composite panel earth retaining wall reinforced with which on the site of K124+340 of Xiangtan-Hengyang West Line Expressway, its vertical earth pressure, horizontal earth pressure, tensile strain distribution of geosynthetics and gabion deformation law are tested. The results show that: along the length of the reinforcement, the distribution of vertical earth pressure is bimodal-shaped distribution in the lower part of the retaining wall while a single peak-shaped distribution in the upper part; the horizontal earth pressure along the wall is nonlinear distribution, the tested maximum occurs at the height about 1.5 m and it is less than active earth pressure; the tensile strain of reinforcement distributed in a nonlinear form along the length; and different layers have a different forms, the deformation of reinforcement takes place in the construction period mainly; the deformation of gabion showed a bulging form.

Key words: double twisted hexagonal wire mesh, gabion, reinforced earth retaining wall, site test