CEE209 – Geotechnical & Foundation Engineering

Lecture – 06 (Lateral Earth Pressure)

 Content 2

1. Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 2

2. Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 2

1) Geotechnical Engineering – Principles and Practices by D.P. Coduto

2) Principles of Geotechnical Engineering by B.M. DAS
3) Soil and Foundations by Liu & Evett
4) Foundation Analysis and Design by J.E. Bowles
5) Foundation Design – Principles and Practices by D.P. Coduto
6) Principles of Foundation Engineering by B.M. DAS
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 3

Plastic equilibrium in soil refers to the condition

where every point in a soil mass is on the verge of
failure.

Rankine (1857) investigated the stress conditions in

soil at the state of plastic equilibrium.
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 4

 = angle of obliquity.  is the angle that reaction on the plane

of sliding makes with normal to that plane. When sliding is
imminent  reaches its limiting value . And tan is called the
coeff. of friction.
Note: maximum sliding resistance is observed when angle of
obliquity  reaches its limiting value .
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 5

Maximum shearing resistance is observed when angle of obliquity 

reaches its limiting value . For this condition line OD becomes
tangent to the stress circle at angle  to axis OX (see fig. below).
Note: Failure plane is not the plane subjected to the maximum value
of shear stress. The criterion of failure is maximum obliquity, not
maximum shear stress.
Although plane AE is
subjected to greater shear
stress than plane AD, it is
also subjected to a larger
normal stress & therefore tma
the angle of obliquity is x

less than on AD which is

plane of failure
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 6

If wall AB is not allowed to move, then

s’h = Ko s’o. The stress condition in the soil
can be represented by the Mohr’s circle a.
If the wall is allowed to move away from soil
mass gradually, horizontal principal stress
will decrease.
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 7

𝜎𝑜′ − 𝜎𝑎′ 𝐶𝐷 𝐶𝐷
2 sin ∅′ = =
sin ∅′ = ′ ′ 𝐴𝐶 𝐴𝑂 + 𝑂𝐶
𝜎 + 𝜎
𝑐 ′ 𝑐𝑜𝑡∅′ + 𝑜 𝑎
2

𝜎𝑜′ − 𝜎𝑎′
𝐶𝐷 =
2
𝐴𝑂 = 𝑐 ′ 𝑐𝑜𝑡∅′
𝜎𝑜′ + 𝜎𝑎′
𝑂𝐶 =
2
1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 8

𝜎𝑜′ − 𝜎𝑎′
sin ∅′ = 2
′ ′
𝜎 + 𝜎
𝑐 ′ 𝑐𝑜𝑡∅′ + 𝑜 𝑎
2

𝜎 ′ + 𝜎′ 𝜎 ′ − 𝜎′
′ ′ 𝑜 𝑎 𝑜 𝑎
𝑐 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ + sin ∅′ =
2 2

1 − sin ∅′ cos ∅′
𝜎𝑎′ = 𝜎𝑜′ − 2𝑐′
1 + sin ∅′ 1 + sin ∅′
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 9

1 − sin ∅′ cos ∅′
𝜎𝑎′ = 𝜎𝑜′ − 2𝑐′
1 + sin ∅′ 1 + sin ∅′

𝜎𝑜′ = 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 = 𝛾𝑧

1 − sin ∅′ ∅′
= 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − )
2
1 + sin ∅′ 2
cos ∅′ ∅′
= 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − )
1 + sin ∅′ 2

∅′ ∅′
′ ′
𝜎𝑎 = 𝛾𝑧 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − ) − 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − )
2
2 2
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 10

′
′
∅ ′
∅′
𝜎𝑎 = 𝛾𝑧 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − ) − 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − )
2
2 2

For cohesionless soils, c’ = 0

∅′
𝜎𝑎′ = 𝜎𝑜′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 − )
2

𝜎𝑎′ ∅ ′
𝐾𝑎 = ′ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 − )
𝜎𝑜 2
 1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 11

∅ ′ ∅′
′ ′
𝜎𝑎 = 𝛾𝑧 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − ) − 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 − )
2
2 2

s a 2    1  sin  
Ka   tan  45   
s o  2  1  sin  

s a  zKa  2c K a
1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 12

45 + ‘/2
1) Rankine’s Theory of Active Pressure 13
2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 14
 2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 15

The derivation for passive pressure is similar to that

for active state
∅ ′ ∅′
′ ′ ′
𝜎𝑝 = 𝜎𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑛 45 +
2 + 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 + )
2 2
∅ ′ ∅′
′
𝜎𝑝 = 𝛾𝑧 𝑡𝑎𝑛 45 +
2 ′
+ 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 + )
2 2
For cohesionless soils, c’ = 0
′
∅
𝜎𝑝′ = 𝜎𝑜′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 + )
2
𝜎𝑝′ ∅ ′
𝐾𝑝 = ′ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 (45 + )
𝜎𝑜 2
2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 16

∅′ ∅′
𝜎𝑝′ = 𝜎𝑜′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 45 + ′
+ 2𝑐 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 + )
2 2
∅′ ∅′
𝜎𝑝′ = 𝛾𝑧 𝑡𝑎𝑛2 45 + + 2𝑐 ′ 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (45 + )
2 2

s p 2    1  sin  
Ka   tan  45   
s o  2  1  sin  

s p  zK p  2c K p
2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 17

45 – ‘/2
2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 18
 2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 19

Active Pressure – Summary

s a 2    1  sin  
Ka   tan  45   
s o  2  1  sin  

s a  zKa  2c K a
 2) Rankine’s Theory of Passive Pressure 20

Passive Pressure – Summary

s p 2    1  sin  
Kp   tan  45   
s o  2  1  sin  

s p  zK p  2c K p
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