Active Earth Pressure

Active earth pressure
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Active earth pressure is the smallest limiting lateral pressure developed at the onset of shear
failure by wall moving away from the soil in the direction of the acting earth pressure (minimal
wall rotation necessary for the evolution of active earth pressure is about 2 mrad, i.e.
2 mm/mofthe wall height).
The following theories and approaches are implemented for the computation of active earth
pressure assuming effective stress state:

The
The
The
The
The
Mazindrani theory
Coulomb theory
Mller-Breslau theory
Caquot theory
Absi theory
For cohesive soils the tension cutoff condition is accepted, i.e. if due to cohesion the negative
value of active earth pressure is developed or, according to more strict requirements, the value
of "Minimum dimensioning pressure" is exceeded, the value of active earth pressure drops down
to zero or set equal to the "Minimum dimensioning pressure".
The program also allows for running the analysis in total stresses.
Active earth pressure the Mazindrani theory

Active earth pressure is given by the following formula:
where:
where:
vertical geostatic stress
Ka
coefficient of active earth pressure due to Rankin
slope inclination
weight of soil
assumed depth
coefficient of active earth pressure due to Mazindrani
slope inclination
angle of internal friction of soil
cohesion of soil
Assuming cohesionless soils (c = 0) and horizontal ground surface ( = 0) yields the Rankin
file://C:\Documents and Settings\raghavendra\Local Settings\temp\~hh89CA.htm
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solution, for which the active earth pressure is provided by:
and the coefficient of active earth pressure becomes:
where:
Horizontal and vertical components of the active earth pressure become:
where:
active earth pressure
angle of friction structure - soil
back face inclination of the structure
Literature:
Mazindrani, Z.H., and Ganjali, M.H. 1997. Lateral earth pressure problem of cohesive backfill
with inclined surface. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, ASCE, 123
(2): 110112.
Active earth pressure - the Coulomb theory

where:
cef
effective cohesion of soil
Ka
coefficient of active earth pressure
Kac
coefficient of active earth pressure due to cohesion
The coefficient of active earth pressure Ka is given by:
The coefficient of active earth pressure Kac is given by:

for:
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for:
where:
slope inclination
where:
Literature:
Arnold Verruijt: Soil mechanics, Delft University of Technology, 2001, 2006,
"http://geo.verruijt.net/"
Active earth pressure - the Mller-Breslau theory

where:
cef
Ka
Kac
The coefficient of active earth pressure Ka is given by:
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where:
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slope inclination

for:
for:
where:
slope inclination
where:
Literature:
Mller-Breslau's Erddruck auf Stutzmauern,Stuttgart: Alfred Kroner-Verlag, 1906 (German)
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Active earth pressure - the Caquot theory

where:
cef
Ka
Kac
The following analytical solution (Boussinesque, Caquot) is implemented to compute the

coefficient of active earth pressure Ka:
where:
where:
Ka
coefficient of active earth pressure due to Caquot
KaCoulomb
coefficient of active earth pressure due to Coulomb
conversion coefficient see further
slope inclination behind the structure

for:
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for:
where:
slope inclination behind the structure
where:
Active earth pressure - the Absi theory

where:
cef
Ka
Kac
The program takes values of the coefficient of active earth pressure Ka from a database, built
upon the values published in the book: Krisel, Absi: Active and passive earth Pressure Tables,
3rd Ed. A.A. Balkema, 1990 ISBN 90 6191886 3.
for:
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for:
where:
slope inclination
where:
Literature:
Krisel, Absi: Active and Passive Earth Pressure Tables, 3rd ed., Balkema, 1990 ISBN 90
6191886 3
Active earth pressure total stress

When determining the active earth pressure in cohesive fully saturated soils, in which case the
consolidation is usually prevented (undrained conditions), the horizontal normal total stress x
receives the form:
where:
horizontal total stress (normal)
vertical normal total stress
Kuc
coefficient of earth pressure
cu
total cohesion of soil
The coefficient of earth pressure Kuc is given by:
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where:
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Kuc
coefficient of earth pressure
cu
total cohesion of soil
au
total adhesion of soil to the structure
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