GEOTECHNICS

Lecture 9: Lateral Earth Pressure

Dr. Emre ÇEÇEN

ececen@umt.edu.al

Learning Objectives and Outline

• To learn earth about pressure at rest

• To learn about active and passive earth pressures

• To understand Rankine’s and Coulomb’s earth pressure

theories

• To learn about the earth pressure coefficients Ko, Ka, and Kp

• To learn computing lateral loads on earth retaining

structures

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 (I) ELASTIC EQUILIBRIUM
The condition where no part of the soil has reached
the state of yield or failure.

That is, the stress circles at any point are well below
the failure envelope.

NATURAL (geostatic) STRESSES

in SOILS

σ
σh σο

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Coefficient of earth pressure at rest, K0

It is related to the Poisson ratio ( ν )

in fully elastic condition 

Typical relations to determine

Coefficient of earth pressure at rest, K0

Soil Type K0 Reference

Clean Sand (NL) 1-Sin φ Jaky, 1945
Sand (OC) KoNC×OCRsin φ (Mayne and Kulhawy, 1982)

NL Clay 0.19+0.23 logIP

OC Clay 0.7+0.1(OCR-1.2)

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 K0 in clayey soils
Normally loaded (NL)
• 0.19+0.23 logIP
• 0.40+0.007IP ( 0<IP<40)
• 0.64+0.001IP ( 0<IP<80)
Overconsolidated (OC)
• 0.7+0.1(OCR-1.2)

FACTORS THAT AFFECT Ko

K0 depends on:

• Gradation (Dmax, Cu, Cr)

• Angle of shearing resistance (friction φ)
• Cementing in sands
• Overconsolidation Ratio (OCR)
• Activity of Clays (Ac= IP/%C)
• Geological Conditions
• (deposition, formation, tectonic effects)
• Drainage Conditions (k)

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 Elastic equilibrium in sand

SAND

Clean Sand (φ≥300)

K0=(1-Sin φ)
If K0<1=> σv point lies to the left of σz
i.e. Lateral stress is smaller

Elastic eqilibrium in clays

CLAY clay clay

NL Clay  (K0<1)  K0=0.19+0.23×log Ip

OC Clay  (K0>1)  K0=0.7+(OCR-1.2)

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PROBLEM

ρsat

PROBLEM

ρsat

6
Earth pressures under additional loads

Plastic equilibrium
The condition where failure has been reached at all
points within a soil mass.

i.e. the stress circles become tangent to the failure

envelope.

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 a) BEARING
CAPACITY

PROBLEMS OF
PLASTIC
EQUILIBRIUM b) EARTH
PRESSURE

c) SLOPE
STABILITY

Plastic equilibrium in φ soils (sands)

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 Plastic equilibrium for
c-φ
φ soils (OC clays & sandy mixtures)

Plastic equilibrium in soft (NL) clays

σ1 = σ3 + 2c

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 Problems of plastic equilibrium
A. FAILURE CONCEPT

Elastic
Yield
Residual
Peak

Peak
Residual

B. PLASTIC EQUILIBRIUM EQUATIONS

Shear surfaces

Development of active earth pressure

σ1
τ 0.001h-0.003h

σ3

φ
h

σ
σ3=σa σ1
σ3=σ0

σ1=ρ’z σo= at-rest pressure

σ3=Kaρ’z σ3=Koρ’z σa= active pressure
Ko=at-rest earth pressure coefficient
Ka=active earth pressure coefficient

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 Active earth pressure

σh= ρ.z.Ka

Formation of Active and Passive wedges

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 Development of passive earth pressure
0.02h-0.2h

σo= at-rest pressure

σP= passive pressure
Ko=at-rest earth pressure
h Kp=passive earth pressure coefficient

σ1

τ σ3 σ3

σ1 φ

σ3=σo σ3=σp
σ
σ1

σ3=Koρ’z σ1=ρ’z σ3=Kpρ’z

Passive earth pressure

Pp

σh = ρ . z . Kp

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 The significance of movements
on the development of earth pressure

Movement (+) Movement (-)

PLASTIC EQUILIBRIUM in SAND

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PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION at ACTIVE STATE
(SAND)

PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION at PASSIVE STATE

(SAND)

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ACTIVE AND PASSIVE PRESSURES of SAND
(SUBMERGED)

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE PRESSURES of SAND

(SUBMERGED)

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WILL MY HOUSE
BE AFFECTED BY
EXCAVATION?

EFFECT of DISTRIBUTED LOAD (q)

Equivalent height h’

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 ACTIVE PRESSURE in CLAY

PASSIVE RESISTANCE of CLAY

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EXAMPLE 1:
Determine the effective active lateral earth pressure on the
frictionless wall shown in figure. Calculate the resultant force
and its location from the base of the wall. (GWT is on the
surface)

Solution:

STEP-1: Calculate Ka

STEP-2: Calculate the vertical effective stress (σ’z)

STEP-3: Calculate the lateral effective stress (σ’x)a

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Solution: (continued)
STEP-4: Sketch the lateral earth pressure distributions
Lateral Earth
Pressure Hydrostatic Pressure

H=5m

17 kPa 49 kPa

STEP-5: Calculate the active thrust

where (Pwater pressure) is the due to the pore water and (Pearth pressure) is the lateral force due to the soil

STEP-6: Determine the location of the resultant

Since both lateral pressure and the pore water (hydrostatic) pressure distributions are triangular over the
whole depth, the resultant is at the centroid of the triangle, that is;

from the base of the wall

EXAMPLE 2:
Determine the effective active earth pressure and the total
lateral force (thrust) on the frictionless surface shown

15 kPa GWT

sat
H=4m

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Solution

STEP-1: Calculate Ka

STEP-2: Calculate the vertical effective stress (σ’z)

STEP-3: Calculate the lateral effective stress at the base (σ’x)a

STEP-4: Calculate the lateral effective stress due to external load at the base(σ’q)a

STEP-5: Calculate the lateral tension effect due to cohesion at the base (σ’c)a

Solution (continued)
STEP-6: Sketch the distributions of lateral earth pressure
q=15 kPa GWT
Lateral Earth
Load Hydrostatic Cohesion
Pressure

H=4m

(+) (+) (+) (-)

14.34 kPa 5.85 kPa 39.24 kPa -10 kPa

STEP-7: Calculate the total lateral force (thrust)

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EXAMPLE 3:
Determine the active effective earth pressure and the total lateral force (thrust)
on the frictionless surface shown.
10 kPa

SW
H=3
GWT

SP
H=3

Solution

STEP-1: Calculate Ka values

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Solution
Lateral Earth Lateral Earth
10 kPa Pressure
Pressure Hydrostatic
Load SW SP Pressure

SW
H=3
I
GWT III
1 3
SP
H=3 sat II IV
V VI
2 4 5 6
3.33 16.98 9.50 29.43
PRESSURES FORCES

PROBLEM 4
SW sand (ρd=19 kN/m3, ρsat=21.5 kN/m3) is filled into the timber box
with shown dimensions. Calculate thrust on the door
(a) at rest in dry state
(b) active in dry state
(c) passive force required when the box is full of water.
[Results of shearbox test are supplied]
X
σ
Results from Shearbox tests
H=5m

τmax Test No 1 2

σ 150 300
m
10 τ 113 229
B=
L=30m

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Solution

X
σ

H=5m
Results from Shearbox tests
τmax Test No 1 2

σ 150 300
m
10 τ 113 229
B=
L=30m

1 ) Calculate shearing resistance of sand:

at the bottom
d

sw
Active
state
5m

d
at the bottom

63.5
d 23.66 kPa

at the bottom

sw
Passive
state
5m

26.5
255.26 kPa
49.05 kPa

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PROBLEM 5
Calculate the force F required to keep the door in active
equilibrium.

ρn=18
ρsat=20 GWT

φ=30

ρsat=22

φ=35

Solution
ρn=18
ρsat=20 GWT GWT

φ=30

ρdsat=22

φ=35

PRESSURES FORCES (THRUST)

MOMENTS

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 PROBLEM 6
Construct the active pressure diagram on plane XX and
calculate the thrust Pa.

Solution
X
Dry sand Submerged CH submerged GW water
ρ =19 kN/m3 SP
3m d 0
φ=30 cohesion
GWT I
1 CH
kN/m3
ρsat=18
3m φ=100 CH II VI
c=10 kPa 2 4 IV (-)
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ρ =22 kN/m3
2m sat 0 GW III V VIII
φ=45 7 VII
3 5
X
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PRESSURES FORCES

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 At-Rest, Active, and Passive Pressures Cont’d

∗ Typical retaining structures are shown

on the left.

∗ The figure below shows the nature of

variation of lateral earth pressure
with the wall tilt.

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Rankine Active Earth Pressure

∗ The figure below shows a frictionless retaining wall with a backfill whose shear
strength, τf, can be given by the relation:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

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 Rankine Active Earth Pressure Cont’d
∗ If the wall tilts far enough away from the backfill and the soil reaches a state of
plastic equilibrium, it is referred to as Rankine active state.

∗ In that case, a soil wedge ABC will fail and slide to the left. The line BC will make
an angle of 45+Ф’/2 with the horizontal.

∗ According to Rankine’s active pressure theory, the lateral active earth pressure
(σ’a) at a depth z can be expressed as:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Rankine Active Pressure-Partially Submerged Cohesionless

Soil (c’=0) with Backfill Supporting a Surcharge

∗ The figure below shows a frictionless retaining wall with a backfill of cohesionless soil. The
effective active earth pressure at any depth can be given by:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

27
Rankine Active Pressure-Partially Submerged Cohesionless
Soil (c’=0) with Backfill Supporting a Surcharge

At depth z=0:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Rankine Active Pressure with Inclined Granular (c’=0)

Backfill
∗ The figure below demonstrates a frictionless retaining wall with a vertical back.
The Rankine active pressure for this condition can be given as:

Where:

∗ The direction of the pressure is

inclined at an angle with the horizontal.
The Rankine active force per unit length
of the wall is:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

28
 Rankine Passive Earth Pressure
∗ If the frictionless retaining wall below is pushed enough into the soil mass and
the soil reaches a state of plastic equilibrium, it is referred to as Rankine passive
state. Lateral earth pressure can be expressed as:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Coulomb’s Active Pressure

∗ So far we have considered the case of frictionless walls with Rankine’s
theories. In reality, retaining walls are rough and shear forces develop
between the face of the wall and the backfill.

∗ More than 200 years ago, Coulomb presented a theory for active and
passive earth pressure against retaining walls.

∗ The general principles of the derivation of Coulomb’s earth-pressure

theory for a cohesionless backfill will be discussed.

∗ Shear strength defined by the equation:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

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 Coulomb’s Active Pressure Cont’d
∗ Let AB in the figure below be the back face of a retaining wall supporting a
granular soil. The following forces are involved:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Coulomb’s Active Pressure Cont’d

∗ The force triangle for the wedge is shown below. From the law of sines:

∗ We can deduct the following:

∗ Where:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

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 Coulomb’s Passive Pressure
∗ The figure below shows a retaining wall with a sloping cohesionless backfill. Pp is
the notation for passive force; other notations used are the same as those for the
active case:

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

Summary
∗ The stresses within the soils are not only vertical. The vertical loading at
ground level induces stresses in all directions within the underlying soil.

∗ It is often necessary to determine the lateral earth pressures acting on the

structures.

∗ Active and passive states are two different failure states in the soil. In
active state, the horizontal stress is reduced until failure occurs. In passive
state, the stress increases until failure occurs.

∗ Lateral earth pressures can be determined by Rankine’s or Coulomb’s

theories. Rankine’s theory is easier and assumes that the wall is smooth
and vertical. Coulomb’s theory is more realistic and allows for an inclined
wall and for friction along the wall.

Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, 2e Das/Sivakugan

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