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Earth Pressure and Retaining Wall

Design
Contents
Geotechnical applications
K
0
, active & passive states
Rankines earth pressure theory
Coulomb's earth pressure theory
Design of cantilever retaining walls
Lateral Support
In geotechnical engineering, it is often necessary
to prevent excessive lateral soil movements
Cantilever
retaining wall
Braced excavation Anchored sheet pile
Tie rod
Sheet pile
Anchor
Lateral Support
We have to estimate the horizontal force due to
lateral earth pressure acting on these
structures, to be able to design them
Gravity wall
Soil nailing
wall
Reinforced
earth wall
Gravity Wall: Crib Wall
5
Good drainage
Allow plant growth
Aesthetic
Soil Nail Wall
Reinforced Earth Retaining Wall
Also known as Mechanical Stabilized Earth Walls
They are very popular (Aesthetic and versatile)
Sheet Pile Wall
During installation
Sheet pile wall
Earth Pressure at Rest
GL
In a homogeneous natural soil deposit,
o
h

o
v

the ratio o
h
/o
v
is a constant known as
coefficient of earth pressure at rest (K
0
)
To arrive K
0
state, there are no lateral
strains
Estimating K
0

For normally consolidated soils,
K
0
~ 1 sin | (7.3)
For overconsolidated soils,
K
0
= (1 sin |') OCR
sin|
(7.4)
From elastic analysis,
u
u

=
1
0
K
Poissons
ratio
Active/Passive Earth Pressures
smooth wall
Wall moves
away from soil
Wall moves
towards soil
A
P
Lets look at the soil elements A and P during the wall
movement.
Active Earth Pressure
A
o
v

o
h

z
As the wall moves away from the soil,
Initially, there is no lateral movement.
o
v
= z
o
h
= K
0
o
v
= K
0
z
o
v
remains the same; and
o
h
decreases till failure occurs.
Active state
Initially (K
0
state)
Active Earth Pressure
- in normally consolidated soils
t
o
o
v

decreasing o
h

Failure (Active state)
As the wall moves away from
the soil,
active earth
pressure
Active Earth Pressure
o
v
o
h

(active)

t
o'
|
[ '] '
h active a v
K o o =
2
1 sin
tan (45 / 2)
1 sin
a
K
|
|
|

= =
+
Rankines coefficient of
active earth pressure
WJM Rankine
(1820-1872)
Active Earth Pressure
o
v
o
h

(active)

t
o
|
A
o
v

o
h

45 + |/2
90+|
Failure plane is at
45 + |/2 to horizontal
Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
A
o
v

o
h

z
As the wall moves away from the soil,
o
h
decreases till failure occurs.
wall
movement
o
h

Active state
K
0
state
Active Earth Pressure
- in cohesive soils
( )
' ' 2
h active a v a
K c K o o =
Follow the same steps as for granular
soils.
Only difference is that c = 0.
Everything else the same as for granular
soils.
Eq. 7.8 P. 330
a a o a
K c K 2 ' ' =o o
Rankine Theory with Slope Backfill
2 2
2 2
2
cos cos cos
cos
cos cos cos
1
2
a
a a
a a
K
zK
P H K
o o |
o
o o |
o


=
+
=
=
The Rankine active force is parallel to the slope of the
backfill
o
o
H
Z
o
a
Eq. 7.19 P. 336
Generalized Case for Rankine Active
Pressure in granular soils
( )
1
1
2
2 2 2
2
sin
sin 2
sin
sin sin
tan
1 sin cos
cos( ) 1 sin 2sin cos
cos cos cos cos
1
2
a
a
a
a
a
a a
K
P H K
o
o u
|
|
|
|
o u | |
u o o |

| |
= +
|
\ .
| |
=
|

\ .
+
=
+
=
The Rankine active force is no longer parallel to the
slope of the backfill
Eq. 7.17 P. 335
|
o
H
Z
u
Example
A v A active h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ = o o
Determine the distribution of active pressure
K
a
= tan
2
(45-26/2)= 0.39
Z = 0
o
h
= (0.39)(15)
-2(10)0.39
= -6.64 kN/m
2
Z = 6
o
h
= (0.39)(15+6*16.5)
-2(10)0.39
= 31.97 kN/m
2

Example
Determine the distribution of active pressure
K
a
= 0.333 (| = 30); K
a
= 0.271 (| = 35)
Active Soil Pressure
K
a
= 0.333 (| = 30); K
a
= 0.271 (| = 35)
Z = 3
o
h
= (0.333)(16*3) = 16 kN/m
2

Z = 6
o
h
= 0.271(16*3+(18-9.81)*3)
= 19.67 kN/m
2

Lateral Hydrostatic Stress
u = 9.81*3
= 29.43 kN/m
2

Total
Stress
Coulombs Active Pressure
( )
( )
2
2
2
2
sin
sin( ) sin( )
sin sin 1
sin( ) sin( )
1
2
a
a a
K
P H K
| |
| o | o
| | o
| o o |

+
=
(
+
+
(
+

=
o
o
H
Z
|
|
W
P
a
R
u
1
W
P
a
R
Coulombs theory was
developed in 1776.
The failure surface is
assumed planer and the
friction angle between
soil and wall is o.
The active force (P
a
) is
calculated based on
equilibrium.
Different failure surfaces
are attempted until the
smallest P
a
is obtained.
(7.26) & (7.27)
Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
P
o
v

o
h

Initially, soil is in K
0
state.
As the wall moves towards the
soil,
o
v
remains the same, and
o
h
increases till failure occurs.
Passive state
Passive Earth Pressure
t
o o
v

Initially (K
0
state)
Failure (Passive
state)
As the wall moves towards the soil,
increasing o
h

passive earth
pressure
- in granular soils
Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
o
v
[o
h
]
passive

t
o
|
( )
' '
h passive P v
K o o =
) 2 / 45 ( tan
sin 1
sin 1
2
|
|
|
+ =

+
=
P
K
Rankines coefficient of
passive earth pressure
Passive Earth Pressure
o
v

o
h

(passive)

t
o
|
P
o
v

o
h

90+
Failure plane is at
45 - |/2 to horizontal
45 - /2
- in granular soils
Passive Earth Pressure
P
o
v

o
h

As the wall moves towards the soil,
o
h
increases till failure occurs.
wall
movement
o
h

K
0
state
Passive
state
Passive Earth Pressure
- in cohesive soils
P v P passive h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ + = o o
Follow the same steps as for granular
soils.
Only difference is that c = 0.
Everything else the same as for granular
soils.
Coulombs Passive Pressure
( )
( )
2
2
2
2
sin
sin( ) sin( )
sin sin 1
sin( ) sin( )
1
2
p
a a
K
P H K
| |
| o | o
| | o
| o o |

=
(
+ +
+
(
+ +

=
o
o
H
Z
|
|
W
P
a
R
u
1
P
a
R
Eq. 7.71 P. 366
| = 40, o = 20, K
p
= 11.77
Passive Earth Pressure
The fundamental assumption of plane failure surface
does not hold in practice.
The actual passive earth pressure is smaller than that of
Coulombs theory which is not safe.
Therefore, passive earth pressure is estimated using
either Rankines theory or the result of ultimate
equilibrium based on the non-planar failure surface
Passive Earth Pressure
Fig. 7.27
Fig. 7.26
Coulombs theory
| = 40, o = 20, K
p
= 11.77
| = 40, o = 20, K
p
= 8.2
Rankines theory
| = 40, K
p
= 4.6
Wall
movement
o
h

Passive state
Active state
K
0
state
Nature of Active and Passive
Earth Pressures
6-m wall
25 mm 250 mm
Retaining Walls - Applications
highway
Gravity Retaining Walls
cobbles
cement mortar
plain concrete or
stone masonry
They rely on their self
weight to support the
backfill
Cantilever Retaining Walls
They act like vertical
cantilever, fixed to the ground
Reinforced;
smaller section
than gravity
walls
Proportioning Retaining Walls
These dimensions are based heavily on experience accumulated
with stable walls under Rankine conditions
proper
placement of
concrete
Adequate
slide
resistance
Adequate
wide-beam
shear
resistance
Stability of Retaining Walls
Overturn about its
toe
Slide along its
base
Loss of bearing
capacity
Deep-seated shear
failure
Design of Retaining Walls
Two phases in the design of a conventional
retaining wall

1. Check for stability as a whole
Check for overturning
Check for sliding
Check for bearing capacity failure
Check for deep seated shear failure
Check for excessive settlement

2. Check each component for strength and the
steel reinforcement
(This section will not be covered)
Design of Retaining Wall
1
1
2
2
3
3
toe
toe
W
i
= weight of block i
x
i
= horizontal distance of centroid of block i from toe
Block no.
Analyze the stability of this rigid body with
vertical walls (Rankine or Coulomb theory)
4
1
1
2
2
3
3
P
A

P
A

P
P

P
P

S
S toe
toe
V
V
y
y
Safety against overturning about toe
/ 3 { }
H/3
P i i
overturning
A
P h Wx
FS
P
+
=

H
h
to be greater
than 2.0
Neglect P
p
for a
conservative
design and
unknown soil
condition at the
toe
' { }. tan

P a i
sliding
A
P BC W
FS
P
o + +
=

43
1
1
2
2
3
3
P
A

P
A

P
P

P
P

S
S toe
toe
V
V
y
y
Safety against sliding along the base
H
h
to be greater
than 1.5
soil-concrete friction
angle ~ 0.5 0.67 |
P
P
= 0.5 K
P
h
2

P
A
= 0.5 K
A
H
2

Neglect P
p
for a
conservative design
and unknown soil
condition at the toe
soil-concrete adhesion
~ 0.5 0.67 C
1
1
2
2
3
3
P
A

P
A

P
P

P
P

S
S toe
toe
V
V
y
y
Safety against bearing capacity failure

1
' '
2
6
1
c cd ci q qd qi d i
bearing capacity
c N F F qN F F B N F F
FS
V e
B B

+ +
=
E
| |
+
|
\ .
H
h
to be greater
than 3.0
Wall Friction Angle
If Coulombs active earth pressure theory is used,
this is required
Backfill material Range of
Gravel
Coarse sand
Fine sand
Stiff clay
Silty clay
27 - 30
20 - 28
15 - 25
15 - 20
12 - 16
Or o = or 2/3 |

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