Equivalent approach to analyse reinforced soil has an advantage that the study of complex interaction between the soil and reinforcement is avoided and the stress-strain characteristics are obtained similar to a homogeneous material. Present study aims to investigate the behaviour of reinforced soil structures by considering it as an equivalent medium with homogeneous properties. A numerical model is developed using FLAC and is systematically verified using extensive laboratory test results of large diameter triaxial tests. The developed model is also compared with discrete approach, where the reinforcement layers are explicitly modelled. The developed equivalent model could capture the strength and deformation behaviour of the reinforced sand and the failure mechanisms quite well. Model is later extended to analyse two case studies on reinforced retaining walls using the properties adopted from the literature. The results from the equivalent analysis were verified with instrumented data together with discrete numerical approach.