Coulomb’s Theory of Earth Pressure

• He develop the
analytical study of
lateral earth pressures
which he published in
1776 which the theory
remains the standard
choice of analysis for
lateral forces upon
structures in soils.

Charles-Augustine de Coulomb (1736-1806)

In Coduto (1998)
 COULOMB’S WEDGE THEORY
Coulomb’s theory of earth pressure involves the consideration of
a sliding wedge which tends to break away from the rest of the
backfill upon wall movement and vice versa. When the wall
moves outward, the sliding wedge moves downwards and
outwards.

Assumptions
 Soil is homogeneous , isotropic, dry ,elastic and cohesion less
 The face of the wall in contact with the backfill is vertical and
inclined and rough
 The failure wedge acts as rigid body and the stresses acting
over it are uniform
 Failure is two dimensional ,failure surface is planer and passes
through the heel of the wall
Rankine’s Theory of Earth Pressure
• He simplified Coulomb’s
theory for cases when the
surface of the backfill is
horizontal, the friction
between the wall and the
backfill is negligible and the
retaining wall is vertical.

William J.M. Rankine (1820-1872)

Rankine’s Active Failure Surface
Active Failure

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Pole Point
 1  sin  ' 
 ' z   ' x  
 1  sin  ' 
so..
 1  sin  '   ' 
K a     tan 2  45  
 1  sin  '   2

Resultant force per unit length of the wall = 0.5KaϒH2

Rankine’s Passive Failure Surface Passive Failure

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Pole Point
 1  sin  ' 
 ' x   ' z  
 1  sin  ' 
so..
 1  sin  '   ' 
K p     tan 2  45  
 1  sin  '   2

Resultant force per unit length of the wall = 0.5KpϒH2

 ACTIVE PRESSURE BY CULMANN'S METHOD
FOR COHESIONLESS SOILS
Culmann's (1875) method is the same as the trial wedge method. In
Culmann's method, the force polygons are constructed directly on the ϕ-line AE
taking AE as the load line. The procedure is as follows:
1. Draw ϕ -line AE at an angle ϕ to the horizontal.
2. Lay off on AE distances, AV, A1, A2, A3,
etc. to a suitable scale to represent the weights
of wedges ABV, A51, AS2, AS3, etc. respectively.
3. Draw lines parallel to AD from points V, 1, 2, 3 to intersect assumed rupture lines AV,
Al,A2, A3 at points V", I',2', 3', etc. respectively.
4. Join points V, 1', 2' 3' etc. by a smooth curve which is the pressure locus.
5. Select point C‘ on the pressure locus such that the tangent to the curve at this point
is parallel to the ϕ-line AE.
6. Draw C'C parallel to the pressure line AD. The magnitude of C'C in its natural units
gives the active pressure Pa.
7. Join AC" and produce to meet the surface of the backfill at C. AC is the rupture line.
For the plane backfill surface, the point of application of Pa is at a height of H/3
from the base of the wall. 16
17
• Steedman & Zeng (1990)
incorporated the dynamic
behaviour of retaining walls in
what is referred to as a
pseudodynamic approach (see
sketch)
• They considered a fixed-base
wall subjected to a harmonic
ground acceleration of ah sin t
• It is easy to note that the
acceleration and mass of a
differential element can be
expressed as