Dirt is probably the cheapest and simplest construction material out there, but it's not very strong compared to other choices. Luckily geotechnical engineers have developed a way to strengthen earthen materials with almost no additional effort - Mechanically Stabilized Earth (aka MSE or Reinforced Soil). If you look closely, you'll see MSE walls are everywhere. Thanks for watching, and let me know what you think! Join the National Marrow Donation Program: http://join.marrow.org/practical Watch this video and the entire Practical Engineering catalog ad-free on Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/practical-engineering Website: http://practical.engineering/ Patreon: http://patreon.com/PracticalEngineering Music: Doctor Vox - Gold (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM-hX0BQf40)