13/08/2020 Calculation of Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coefficient

Eurocode Project:
Applied.com
Subject: Cálculo de muro de contención
Free online calculation tools for structural design according to Eurocodes
Designer: Juan Tello / Cristian Marín

Date: Thu Aug 13 2020

Eurocode 8
Dynamic earth pressure coe cient for earthquake analysis (Mononobe-Okabe)
Description:
Calculation of the dynamic earth pressure coe cient KAE during earthquake loading according to Mononobe-Okabe method
According to:
EN 1998-5:2004 Annex E
Supported National
Annexes:
No Nationally De ned Parameters (NDPs) in the calculation

Input
Design value of the angle of shearing resistance of soil φ'd =  30 °

Design value of the friction angle between the soil and the wall δd =  0 °

Inclination angle of the wall back surface ψ =  90 °

Inclination angle of the back ll top surface β =  0 °

Horizontal seismic coe cient kh =  0.24

Vertical seismic coe cient kv =  -0.12

https://eurocodeapplied.com/design/en1998/mononobe-okabe 1/4
13/08/2020 Calculation of Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coefficient

Convention of angles for calculating the earth pressure coe cients (reproduced from EN1998-5 Figure E.1)

Results
Mononobe-okabe dynamic earth pressure coe cient for active state KAE = 0.4856
Mononobe-okabe dynamic earth pressure coe cient for active state (1-kv)⋅KAE = 0.5439
including factor (1-kv)
Mononobe-okabe dynamic earth pressure coe cient for passive state KPE = 2.6003
Mononobe-okabe dynamic earth pressure coe cient for passive state (1-kv)⋅KPE = 2.9123
including factor (1-kv)

Notes
1. The total applicable dynamic earth pressure is proportional to the coe cient (1-kv)⋅KAE or (1-kv)⋅KPE for active and passive states respectively that is also calculated above. Both
directions of vertical earthquake should generally be examined, i.e. both positive and negative sign for the vertical seismic coe cient kv. In general the case where vertical earthquake
acts downwards, i.e. negative sign for kv, yields the most unfavorable results in terms of total horizontal earth pressure. Sliding veri cations may be more unfavorable for the case
where vertical earthquake acts upwards, i.e. positive sign for kv.
2. The calculation of Mononobe-Okabe coe cient for passive states should preferably be used for vertical wall surface, i.e. when ψ = 90°, as mentioned in EN1998-5 §E.4.

Details
Input Data
Design value of the angle of shearing resistance of soil: φ'd = 30 °
Design value of the friction angle between the soil and the wall: δd = 0 °
Inclination angle of the wall back surface: ψ = 90 °
Inclination angle of the back ll top surface: β = 0 °
Horizontal seismic coe cient: kh = 0.24

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13/08/2020 Calculation of Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coefficient
Vertical seismic coe cient: kv = -0.12

Calculation of dynamic earth pressure coe cient according to Mononobe-Okabe method for dry conditions
The dynamic earth pressure coe cient is calculated for the case of water table below the retaining wall in accordance with EN1998-5 §E.4 and §E.5. In particular, the dynamic earth pressure
coe cient is calculated for the active and passive states according to Mononobe-Okabe method. The calculated earth pressure coe cient corresponds to the total earth pressure (static +
dynamic).

The auxiliary angle θ is calculated for the case of water table below the retaining wall in accordance with EN1998-5 equation (E.6) as follows:

tanθ = kh / (1 - kv) = 0.240 / [1 - (-0.120)] = 0.214

This tangent value corresponds to angle θ = 12.095 °.

Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coe cient for active state

For active states EN1998-5 equations (E.2) and (E.3) are applicable. The following intermediate factors are calculated:

a1 = sin(ψ + φ'd - θ) = 0.9516

a2 = cosθ⋅sin2ψ⋅sin(ψ - θ - δd) = 0.9561

a3 = 1 + [sin(φ'd + δd)⋅sin(φ'd - β - θ) / sin(ψ - θ - δd) / sin(ψ + β)]0.5 = 1.3965

For the case where β ≤ φ'd - θ EN1998-5 equation (E.2) applies:

KAE = a12 / (a2⋅a32) = 0.95162 / (0.9561⋅1.39652) = 0.486

Therefore the dynamic earth pressure coe cient for active states according to Mononobe-Okabe method is calculated as KAE = 0.486

Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coe cient for passive state

For passive states EN1998-5 equation (E.4) is applicable. No shearing resistance is considered between the soil and the wall, i.e. the friction angle δd is considered equal to 0. The following
intermediate factors are calculated:

p1 = sin(ψ + φ'd - θ) = 0.9516

p2 = cosθ⋅sin2ψ⋅sin(ψ + θ) = 0.9561

p3 = 1 - [sin(φ'd)⋅sin(φ'd + β - θ) / sin(ψ + β) / sin(ψ + θ)]0.5 = 0.6035

The dynamic earth pressure coe cient for passive state is calculated according to EN1998-5 equation (E.4) as:

KPE = p12 / (p2⋅p32) = 0.95162 / (0.9561⋅0.60352) = 2.600

Therefore the dynamic earth pressure coe cient for passive states according to Mononobe-Okabe method is calculated as KPE = 2.600

Total design force

The total design force (static + dynamic) acting on the retaining structure from the land-ward side is calculated in accordance with EN1998-5 equation (E.1) for the case of water table below
the retaining wall (dry state) as follows:

Ed = (1/2)⋅γ⋅(1 - kv)KAEH2 for active state

Ed = (1/2)⋅γ⋅(1 - kv)KPEH2 for passive state

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13/08/2020 Calculation of Mononobe-Okabe earth pressure coefficient
where the active and passive dynamic earth pressure coe cients KAE and KPE have been calculated above, γ is the unit weight of soil, and H is the wall height. For the case of water table
below the retaining wall (dry state) both hydrostatic Ews and hydrodynamic Ewd contributions are 0.

Earth pressure pro le

According to EN1998-5 §7.3.2.3(4)P the point of application of the force due to the dynamic earth pressure shall be taken to lie at mid-height of the wall, in the absence of a more detailed
study. Therefore the dynamic part of the total earth pressure may be considered to act at the mid height of the wall. For active states the corresponding static earth pressure coe cient KA
can be calculated according to coulomb theory.

Therefore the total earth pressure on the wall is analyzed into two pressure pro les a) a static triangular pressure pro le with resultant force acting at 1/3 of the wall height, and b) a
dynamic uniform pressure pro le with resultant force acting at 1/2 of the wall height. The two pressure pro les are:

Static pressure pro le (triangular): ps(z) = KA⋅γ⋅z

Dynamic pressure pro le (uniform): pd(z) = (1/2)⋅[ (1-kv)⋅KAE - KA ] ]⋅γ⋅H

where z is the depth measured from the soil surface at the top of the retaining wall.

The static earth pressure coe cient for active states KA can be calculated according to the previous methodology if the seismic coe cients kh and kv are both set equal to zero, which means
that the auxiliary angle is θ = 0. For this case Mononobe-Okabe method reduces to coulomb theory.

The calculated value for the static active pressure coe cient is KA = 0.3333.

For the examined case the factor of the dynamic part of the total earth pressure is calculated as:

(1/2)⋅[ (1-kv)⋅KAE - KA ] = (1/2)⋅[1 - (-0.120)] ⋅ 0.486 - 0.3333 = 0.1053

Therefore, for the examined case the two pressure pro les (static and dynamic) are:

Static pressure pro le (triangular): ps(z) = KA⋅γ⋅z = 0.3333⋅γ⋅z

Dynamic pressure pro le (uniform): pd(z) = (1/2)⋅[ (1-kv)⋅KAE - KA ] ⋅γ⋅H = 0.1053⋅γ⋅H

where z is the depth measured from the soil surface at the top of the retaining wall.

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