Embankments on soft subsoils are one of the typical problems of modern geotechnical engineering. High strength geosynthetic reinforcement are used in this application as a technical, ecological and financial beneficial solutions for more the 35 years by now. Over the time a lot of experience and knowledge has been gathered in regard to the system short and long term behavior. Site measurements have disclosed some unexpected results, which have been meanwhile confirmed by further site measurements and numerical simulation. One phenomenon is the unequal stress or load distribution, respectively, if multilayer systems with small vertical distance between the single layers are constructed.

The paper will discuss this phenomenon based on site measurements and in depth numerical analysis. Further the short and long term behavior and the resulting load change with progressing consolidation and shear strength increase of the subsoil, respectively, will be discussed as well as the stress strain compatibility of the basal reinforcement and the shear strength behavior of the subsoil.