Professional Documents
Culture Documents
5 6093427513386599180
5 6093427513386599180
Lec-3
Retaining walls
By
− Sheet pile retaining walls are usually used in soft soils and tight spaces.
Sheet pile walls are made out of steel, vinyl or wood planks which are driven
into the ground.
− For a quick estimate the material is usually driven 1/3 above ground, 2/3
below ground, but this may be altered depending on the environment.
− Taller sheet pile walls will need a tie-back anchor, or "dead-man" placed in
the soil a distance behind the face of the wall, that is tied to the wall, usually
by a cable or a rod. Anchors are then placed behind the potential failure
plane in the soil.
Failure of Retaining walls
− Failure of retaining walls is more frequent as compared to
other RC structures due to
− Poor design assumptions
− Changing and unpredictable subsoil and backfilled conditions
− Poor masonry work/material strength and improper bonding
− Lack of drainage facilities and provisions
− Can you think of some more reasons?
Lateral pressure on Retaining walls
− Active lateral pressure ( Can you define)
− Passive lateral pressure
− The general equation ( Rankine Eq) for the active and passive coeff. for a
surcharge angle of ϐ and internal angle of friction Φ is given as:
− The total lateral active and passive pressure are given as:
Earth pressure for various conditions
Modes of failure of retaining walls
− The individual components of the wall may fail
− The wall as a whole may be displaced due to sliding
− The wall may get overturned
− The factor of safety against the sliding must be at
least 1.5
− The horizontal force acting on the retaining wall is Ph
which is resisted by the vertical component of lateral
pressure and resisting weight of the load on the toe:
− To have min factor of safety of 1.5
− If the required sliding resistance is not provided by the
weight, then key may be provided beneath the stem
− The pressure under the footing must not exceed the
allowable bearing capacity of soil
Overturning of Retaining Wall:
The top width of the stem=0.08h = 0.08*15 = 1.20ft= 14.4 in Assumed 18in
Depth of the base= 0.12h to 0.16h=14.4in to 28in Assume 24in
Width of the base= 0.5h to 1.25 h = 7.5 ft to 11.5 ft Assume 10ft
Width of heel= 0.5d to d = 12 to 24 in Assumed 9in
Design of semi gravity retaining walls
− The retaining walls which resist the lateral pressure by means of its
weight and developed soils.
− The wall thickness is selected such that no part of the wall is in tension
− The resultant force must pass through the middle third to fulfill this
condition.
Effect of Surcharge