In this study, a finite element analysis with Lade's elasto-plastic soil model and Cosserat theory is carried out to show that the finite element method, embodied in a program such as ABAQUS, is capable of realistically simulating the behavior of GRS retaining walls and calculating their failure loads with reasonable accuracy. Lade's elasto-plastic constitutive model along with Cosserat rotation, suited for detection of strain localization, is used for the analysis of two geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls: the RMC wall performed at the Royal Military College of Canada and the Denver wall performed at the University of Colorado at Denver. These two large-scale laboratory test walls were chosen because they were subjected to surcharge pressures until failure upon which failure surfaces were developed within their reinforced zones. These failure surfaces were accurately measured and documented. The finite element analyses with Lade's model were able to reasonably simulate the large-scale plane strain laboratory tests on geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls. On average, the finite element analyses gave reasonably good agreement with the experimental results in terms of global performances and shear band occurrences. Reasonably accurate prediction of failure loads and shear bands for the RMC wall and the Denver wall were possible using such a soil model. (Kode: UMI Number: 3299633) Rak Penelitain 2