4.

5 Design of multi–level anchored walls

1. Base stability
2. Overall stability
3. Structural stability

4.5.1 Base stability for

anchored walls

Same requirements and

methods as for strutted
excavations for both
cohesive and cohesion less
soils.
4.5.2 Overall stability for
anchored walls

Stability against development

of a shear failure within the
soil mass resisting the anchor
force.

Deep seated failures outside

the anchors must be considered
in clay soils as a normal slope
stability problem.
a) Overall stability for single-level anchored walls
Anchor capacity computations
presented in Ch 3. ensures
adequate load transfer
between grouted part and
surrounding soil. i.e. without
slippage taking place along
the bulb surface.
We now need to verify that
the soil mass taking these
FS = tan φ / tan φmobilized
shear stresses is capable of
resisting shear failure with FS = maximum soil resistance/ resistance
adequate safety factor. required to maintain stability

According to BS 8081:
FS ≥ 1.3 for temporary (or non-critical) application
≥ 1.5 for permanent/critical applications

If specified FS value is not attained, anchor length must be increased, OR

anchor force is reduced (i.e. more anchors are used)
Kranz Method
(Modified)

At failure, wall will

move away from failed
soil mass behind the
wall, and an active
state of stress
develops along IK and
ML
b)4.5.2
Overall stability for multi-level anchored walls
4.5.3 Structural Stability for
anchored excavations

Wall structural elements

must have adequate strength
and acceptable displacement,
through computation of
bending moments and shear
forces in wall, (assuming
adequate anchorage in the
ground).

Design earth pressure? See next slides

Design water pressures? Same as before for strutted walls
 Remember:

≈ Fixed
deformation ≈ constant
support load support
Two (manual) design methods are used:

1. Based on apparent earth pressure distribution (as for

braced excavations)

2. Based on triangular earth pressure distribution

(adopted by EG code part 7)

In general, the use of triangular earth pressure

distributions + anchors stressed to match such loads will
result in a measured load distribution that is close to the
design distribution by virtue of elastic elongation of the
anchors and development of active pressures (Canadian
Found manual 2006)
Note: in all important/critical projects, numerical methods must be
used for final design calculations (EG Code 2015)
Triangular earth pressure method
1) Determine Design earth pressure (Canadian
Manual 2006):

Depending on the
permissible wall
movement, 3 cases are
considered:

1) S ≥ d ; use K = Ka

2) d > S ≥ d/2 ;
use K = (Ka + Ko)/2

1) S < d/2 ; use K = Ko

2) Compute loads on anchors:

a) Determine construction
stages, and then for each stage:

b) Compute the net earth

pressure using the subsequent
rules + relevant water pressure +
any surcharge loads. (method
assumes that highest load in any
given anchor Occurs just before
placing the next one)

Consider the effect of different

construction stages as described
next.
 For the 1st Anchor:

Solve for A1 as fixed or free

earth support (without
increasing the depth by 20-40
%) i.e. calculate penetration
depth required to have FS =
1.0 and make sure it is smaller
than the available penetration
depth.
For Other anchors:
1. For all anchors other than the
lowest (i.e. 1, 2 &3) determine
the depth of wall penetration
required to obtain FS = 1.0
against toe rotation.

2. The force in the lowest anchor

is to be determined from the
equilibrium of all horizontal
forces, (free earth support
using FS = 1.5 on kp.

3. The anchor above the lowest

(here # 3) is to be checked
also if the remaining
penetration depth is adequate for fixed condition,
otherwise calculate A for free earth support condition.
4) For the lowest anchor :
If h 1.0m then minimum wall (Note: larger hb requires
penetration is: larger wall penetration)
tmin (≈ 0.20-0.25)H to avoid v
Ɣ
excessive BM & movement in the toe.
Note: A minimum of t = tfree earth v
would be required in the case of
single anchor wall.

5) B.M that develops in the wall in

each stage of construction should be
checked.

6) Anchor force/m:
A = Ah /cos θ1; AF = A x S
(R AF × FS)
v
7) For soldier pile walls:

a) Vertical component of anchor

force for soldier pile walls should
by checked (to avoid wall
settlement and overloading of the
anchors) v

Note: Normally the pile is placed

in concrete filled hole below FL to
increase its carrying capacity as a
pile
b) IF some penetration is required to
improve wall performance, then the passive
resistance Pp (per m’) required for stability
should be passive resistance provided by
the soldier piles
∴ Pp × S ɣt2 ×(FA)b
.
Where FA is an adjustment factor for
arching effect; = 2.5 – 3.0 for sands (higher
with φ); and = 1.0-2.0 for clays (higher with
increasing cu)

Pp is calculated from equilibrium condition

(as in normal sheet pile analysis) provided
that S ≥ 5b, to ensure efficiency of single
piles in lateral load resistance, and;
b = flange width for driven piles; =
concrete hole diam. for bored piles.

c) Timber laggings are designed for a

reduced lateral earth pressure due to
arching effects, use p ≅ 0.6 (shoring load );
2.0 t/m2
 4.6 Wall movement
• Need to evaluate the
magnitude and extent of
settlement due to excavation

• Excavations result in both

lateral (δh) and vertical (δv)
displacements behind the
wall

• Both δh and δv are usually

maximum at upper wall edge
and decrease with depth and
with distance away from the
wall.
( )
4.6.1 Factors influencing soil movement due to deep
excavation

1. Stress changes within the subsoil (masses A & B) due to

unloading (even with perfect construction practices)
2. Depth of excavation
3. Soil properties (stiffer soils produce smaller
displacements)
4. Initial state of stress (high ko value) within the soil (high
locked-in stress due to overconsolidation result in large
displacement
5. Groundwater changes (outside vs inside dewatering)
6. Wall and bracing stiffness
7. Preloading of braces and anchors
8. Construction method (bottom-up vs top-down; soil
loss during wall installation, gap behind timber
lagging etc.)
9. Workmanship (experience, QC, delay in support
installation etc.) (see example on raker placement
next slide)
Good practice to reduce displacement due to placement of rakers
Theoretical
Wall movement
patterns and
magnitudes
Magnitude of Wall Movements
For well constructed walls

Braced Walls Anchored Walls

Cohesionless soils 0.2% For Ka EP: 0.2%
For Ko EP: 0.1%
Soft-to-firm Clays 1% - 2% Not recommended
Stiff Clays 0.1% - 0.2% Data not available!
Means to reduce • Rapid installation • Rapid installation
Wall movement • Upper strut placed as
high as possible
• Keep bracing spacing
around 2.5 m
Settlement behind walls

(Nb ≈ ɣH/ Cu)

Settlement
behind walls
(cont’d)
Settlement behind walls, cont’d
4.6.2
Effect of wall/soil system stiffness on lateral wall movement

≈ cu Nc/ ɣ H
Importance of soil model selection
3-D effect on wall movement

(reduced displacement)

(increased displacement)
Good practice for
Within Zone A:
Support of adjacent • Underpinning normally required.
structures Underpinning to adjacent structure s
should be founded in Zone C.
• If not underpinned, hl & vl pressures
from adjacent structures on the wall
must be considered.
Within Zone B:
• Underpinning not normally required. hl
& vl pressures from Adj. str. on wall
must be considered.

Important note: the above criterion

should only be used as a guide for
Underpinning to preliminary design. For final design, the
extend ≥ 0.6m new EG Code requires an appropriate
numerical model to be used, taking into
below FL consideration excavation sequence.
4.7 Summary of Causes of deep excavation failure
(EG Code draft 2015)
Other related aspects:

• Dilapidation survey (of adjacent

structures)
• GW disposal (tech/economical impact)
• Monitoring & Instrumentation
• (wall movement, adjacent structures & utilities
etc.)
 Sources
1. Puller, M. “Deep excavations. A practical manual”. Thomas Telford
(2003)
2. Canadian foundation engineering manual (2006)
3. Egyptian code for soil mechanics and foundation design and
construction Part (7) Retaining Structures (1995)
4. Egyptian Code for Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering – Part (15)
Deep Excavations (Draft)
5. Xanthakos, P. “Slurry walls as structural systems “,. 2nd Ed. McGraw-
Hill co. (1994)
6. Xanthakos, P. “Ground anchors and anchored structures“, John Wiley
& Sons. Inc. (1991).
7. NAVFAC Design Manual 7.2 “Foundations and earth structures“ (1986)
8. BS 8081 “Ground Anchorages” (1989)
9. FHWA, Ground Anchors, 1999.
10. Brochures of specialized geotechnical contractors /manufacturers
(Bachy, DSI, Freyssinet etc.).
11. Others (as indicated)