BULETINUL INSTITUTULUI POLITEHNIC DIN IAŞI Publicat de Universitatea Tehnică „Gheorghe Asachi” din Iaşi Tomul LX (LXIV), Fasc. 3, 2014 Secţia CONSTRUCŢII. ARHITECTURĂ REINFORCED SOIL RETAINING STRUCTURES – DOMAINS OF USAGE BY OANA-ELENA COLŢ * “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iaşi Faculty of Civil Engineering and Building Services Received: June 19, 2014 Accepted for publication: July 14, 2014 Abstract. Reinforced soil is a composite material (soil filling – reinforcement) used for both slope stabilization and retaining structures. The advantages created by the use of these technical solutions – both the economic and technical point of view – regarding the adaptability to the final requirements of the construction work compared with the classical solution, led to an expansion of the use of reinforced soil retaining structures in various fields of construction works (cone quarters and access ramps for bridges, embankments for railways and roads, retaining walls related to transport infrastructure, dams, protective retaining structures). Key words: reinforced soil; reinforced soil retaining wall; retaining structure; reinforced soil structures; road embankments; quarter cone. 1. Reinforced Soil – Generalities Above all reinforced soil is a composite material consisting in the association of soil and reinforcement, the latter made of metallic materials (galvanized or stainless steel in strips, grids, bars) or geosynthetics (geotextiles, geogrids or geocomposite for reinforcement) placed horizontally, and with the * Corresponding author: e-mail: oanacolt@gmail.com