Until 1972, when the first Reinforced Earth wall in the United States was built in
California, retaining walls utilized in highway construction were usually plain gravity
or reinforced concrete walls. Now, the use of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE)
walls has become widespread in construction throughout the United States. Because
early walls included metal strap reinforcement as the primary mechanism for stabilizing
the soil, corrosion of the reinforcement and lack of long-term durability were a major
impediment to immediate acceptance. Currently, the utilization of metal reinforcing
requires the addition of sacrificial galvanizing materials selected to ensure the design
life of the structure