Simplified Method. The Simplified Method was developed from the Tieback
Wedge Method to create a single design procedure applicable to MSE walls
reinforced with either inextensible or extensible reinforcements. Instead of calculating
the increase in internal vertical stress due to overturning at every inextensible
reinforcement level, the Simplified Method approximates this stress increase by
simply adding 0.2 γz to the soil overburden. However, no stress increase is used with
extensible reinforcements. The Simplified Method uses the Coherent Gravity
Method's bilinear envelope of maximum reinforcement tension for walls reinforced
with inextensible reinforcements and the Rankine failure plane, inclined at 45+φ/2
from the horizontal, for extensible reinforcements. In general, the Simplified Method
is the Tieback Wedge Method with Kr/Ka ratios adopted from development of the
Structure Stiffness Method.