Soil Mechanics II Tutorial Problems on Lateral Earth Pressure

EXAMPLES

1. A stable underground wall is subjected to at-rest lateral pressure and water pressure. Total
depth of the underground wall is 10 m and the water table is at 5 m below the ground surface.
(a) Plot the at-rest lateral earth and water pressure distributions against the wall.
(b) Calculate the resultant force against the wall and its point of application. The soil’s γt
is 19.5 kN/m3, and φ′ is 38° for this normally compacted sandy soil.

SOLUTION

(a) This is normally compacted sandy soil; thus, use Jaky’s formul for Ko determination.
Ko = 1 – sinφ′ = 1 - sin38° = 0.384.

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Soil Mechanics II Tutorial Problems on Lateral Earth Pressure
2. A 6 m high retaining wall is shown in Figure E1 a. Determine:
a) Rankine active force per unit length of the wall and the location of the resultant
b) Rankine passive force per unit length of the wall and the location of the resultant

Fig E1 (a)

Solution

a) Because c’=0, to determine the active force we can use the following Equation:

At z=0,  a'  0 ; at z 6 m,

The pressure-distribution diagram is shown in Figure E1 b. The active force per unit
length of the wall is as follows:

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b) To determine the passive force, we are given that c’=0. So,

At z=0,  'p  0 ; at z 6 m,

The pressure-distribution diagram is shown in Figure E1 c. The passive force per unit
length of the wall is as follows.

Figure E1 (b) and (c): Diagrams for determining active and passive forces

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3. For the retaining wall shown in Figure E2 (a), determine the force per unit length of the
wall for Rankine’s active state. Also find the location of the resultant.

4. For the retaining wall shown in figure, determine the lateral earth fore at rest per unit length
of the wall. Also determine the location of the resultant force

Solution

 𝐾o = 1 − sin𝜙 = 1 − sin 30° = 0.5

 At 𝑧 = 0, 𝜎′𝑣 = 0; 𝜎′ℎ = 0
 At 𝑧 = 2.5 m,
 𝜎′𝑣 = (16.5)(2.5) = 41.25kN/m2;
 𝜎′ℎ = 𝐾𝑜𝜎′𝑣 = (0.5)(41.25) = 20.63 kN/m2

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Soil Mechanics II Tutorial Problems on Lateral Earth Pressure
 At 𝑧 = 5 m,
 𝜎′𝑣 = (16.5)(2.5) + (19.3 − 9.81)2.5 = 64.98 kN/m2;
 𝜎′ℎ = 𝐾𝑜𝜎′𝑣 = (0.5)(64.98) = 32.49 kN/m2

The hydrostatic pressure distribution is as follows:

 From 𝑧 = 0 to 𝑧 = 2.5 m, 𝑢 = 0.
 At 𝑧 = 5 m, 𝑢 = 𝛾𝑤 (2.5) = (9.81)(2.5) = 24.53 kN/m2.

The pressure distribution for the wall is shown in figure below.

The total force per unit length of the wall can be determined from the area of the pressure
diagram, or

𝑃𝑜 = Area 1 + Area 2 + Area 3 + Area 4

= 1 2 (2.5)(20.63) + (2.5)(20.63) + 1 2 (2.5)(32.49 − 20.63) + 1 2 (2.5)(24.53)

= 122.85 kN/m

The location of the center of pressure measured from the bottom of the wall (Point 𝑂) =

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5. Example 7.2 (Braja M Das)

A 6-m-high retaining wall is to support a soil with unit weight 𝛾 = 17.4 kN/m3, soil friction
angle 𝜙 = 26°, and cohesion 𝑐 = 14.36 kN/m2. Determine the Rankine active force per unit
length of the wall both before and after the tensile crack occurs, and determine the line of
action of the resultant in both cases.
Solution
For 𝜙 = 26°,
𝐾𝑎 = tan2 (45–𝜙/2) = tan2 (45−13) = 0.39
√𝐾𝑎 = 0.625
𝜎 𝐾 √𝐾

Refer to figure 2:

At 𝑧 = 0, 𝜎𝑎 = √𝐾 = −2(14.36)(0.625) = −17.95 kN/m2

At 𝑧 = 6 m, 𝜎 𝐾 √𝐾 = (17.4)(6)(0.39) − 2(14.36)(0.625)
= 40.72 − 17.95 = 22.77 kN/m2
Active Force before the Occurrence of Tensile Crack:
𝑃 𝐾 √𝐾
= 0.5x (6)(40.72) − (6)(17.95) = 122.16 − 107.7 = 14.46 kN/m
The line of action of the resultant can be determined by taking the moment of the area of the
pressure diagrams about the bottom of the wall, or

𝑃𝑎 𝑧= (122.16)(6/3) − (107.7)(6/2)

Or

𝑧̅

Active Force after the Occurrence of Tensile Crack:

𝑧= (6−2.64)/3 = 1.12 m

For most retaining wall construction, a granular backfill is used and 𝑐 = 0. Thus example 2 is an
academic problem; however, it illustrates the basic principles of the Rankine active earth
pressure calculation.

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Soil Mechanics II Tutorial Problems on Lateral Earth Pressure

6. Example 7.5 (Braja M Das)

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7. Example 7.6 (Braja M Das)

sin 2 (    ' )
K ac  2
 sin( ' ) sin( ' ) 
sin  sin(   ) 1 
2

 sin(   ) sin(   ) 

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Soil Mechanics II Tutorial Problems on Lateral Earth Pressure
8. A gravity retaining wall, shown in Figure below, is required to retain 5 m of soil. The backfill
is a coarse-grained soil with sat=18 kN/m3, ’=30o. The existing soil (below the base) has the
following properties: sat=20 kN/m3, ’=36o. The wall is embedded 1m into the existing soil
and a drainage system is provided, as shown. The groundwater level is 4.5m below the base
of the wall. Determine the stability of the wall for the following conditions (assume  = 20o):
a) Wall friction is zero.
b) Wall friction is 20o.
c) The drainage system becomes clogged during several days of a rainstorm and the
groundwater rises to the surface. Neglect seepage forces.

Solution
a) Wall friction is zero.
For zero wall friction Rankine’s method is used.
The passive resistance can be neglected in rigid retaining walls if embedment
depth is small.
Since groundwater is below the base, =sat over the wall depth.
 Determine Ka.
1  sin  ' ' 30 1
Ka   tan 2 (45  )  tan 2 (45  ) 
1  sin  ' 2 2 3

 Determine the lateral forces. All forces are per unit length of wall.
Pa  12 ka ' H 2  12 x 13 x18x52  75kN
 Determine wall stability. Consider a unit length of wall.

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 Calculate the location of the resultant from O and determine the moment about point O.
M O  W1 x1  W2 x2  Pa za
M O  72x(3.6  0.3)  216x 23 x3.6  75x 53  674.2kN.m

 Stability Analysis
(i) Translation/Sliding
Horizontal Resisting force R V tan 
( FS ) Sliding  
Horizontal Sliding force RH
288 tan ( 23 x36)
( FS ) Sliding   1.71  1.5; OK
75
(ii) Rotation/Overturning
Sum of moments to resist overturning MR
( FS ) Rotation  
Sum of overturning moments Mo
W1 x1  W2 x2 72x3.9  216x 2.4
( FS ) Rotation    6.4
Pa za 75x5 / 3
 The rotation of the wall about its toe is satisfied if the resultant vertical force lies within
the middle third of the base.
 Taking moments about the toe of the base, the resultant vertical force at the base is
located at
 Moment 674.2
x   2.34m
RV 288
B 4.2 B 4.2
e | - x || - 2.34 | 0.24m    0.7 m; OK
2 2 6 6
(iii) Base Pressure

(to be compared against the bearing capacity of the founding soil. Recommended FS = 3.0)

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RV  6e  288  6x0.24
qb  1    1  
B  B  4.2  4.2 

The maximum base pressure is compared to the bearing pressure of the soil.

Assignment

Determine the stability of the gravity RW in example above for the following conditions:

a) Wall friction  is 20o. (Use Coulomb’s method to determine the lateral earth
pressure coefficient).
b) The drainage system becomes clogged during several days of a rainstorm and the
groundwater rises to the surface. Neglect seepage forces.

9. The cantilever retaining wall shown below is backfilled with granular material having a unit
weight, 𝛾, of 19 kN/m3 and an internal angle of friction, φ, of 30°. Assuming that the
allowable bearing pressure of the soil is 120 kN/m2, the coefficient of friction is 0.4 and the
unit weight of reinforced concrete is 24 kN/m3
a) Determine the factors of safety against sliding and overturning.
b) Calculate ground bearing pressures.

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10.Cantilever Retaining Wall

Figure below shows the cross-section of a reinforced concrete retaining structure. The retained
soil behind the structure and the soil in front of it are cohesionless and has the following
properties:
SOIL 1 : ’ = 35o, d = 17 kN/m3;
SOIL 2 : ’ = 30o,  = 25o , d = 18 kN/m3, sat = 20 kN/m3
The unit weight of concrete is 24 kN/m3. Taking into account the passive resistance in front of
the wall, determine a minimum value for the width of the wall to satisfy the following design
criteria:
Factor of safety against overturning > 2.5
Factor of safety against sliding > 1.5
Maximum base pressure should not exceed 150 kPa
Solution
 Determination of the Earth Pressure Coefficients

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In conclusion the retaining wall is not safe against sliding. To overcome this, the width of
the base may be increased or a key constructed at the toe.

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