This paper reviews the current state of practice, summarising some of the serviceability design issues around geogrid reinforced walls and slopes, with a particular focus on long-term post-construction deformations. In some situations, designs are grossly overconservative. In many cases, these prescribed post-construction allowable strain limits are based on long-term, or accelerated creep testing, undertaken when the geogrid is not interacting with soil. Currently, most serviceability checks do not attempt to determine or prescribe deformation limits on the built wall or slope, but rather impose limits on the theoretical mobilised strains of geogrid reinforcement, considering the unfactored imposed loads. In most designs, the serviceability limit state is not considered critical. Serviceability, for walls and slopes, is associated with excessive deformation or damage affecting appearance, maintenance or service life. The design of geogrid reinforced walls and slopes, although a well-established science, still contains many unknowns, particularly around long-term serviceability.
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