Earth Pressures Theories

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Retaining Walls - Applications

Road
Train

2
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Retaining Walls - Applications

highway

3
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Retaining Walls - Applications

High-rise building

basement wall

4
 CHINA

ROAD SIDE RETAINING WALLS

MUMBAI REGION
 RETAINING
STRUCTURES

TYPICAL REINFORCED SOIL

WALLS
https://www.google.com/search?q=lateral+pressure+on+cantilever+retaining+wall&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Zac8hebqBTe7_M%253A
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 PRESSURES ACTING ON AN ELEMENT AT DEPTH z

WATER SOIL
z z
σv σv

σh σh

σv = γ w z σv=γz
σ h = γw z σ h =K γ z

WATER IS INCOMPRESSIBLE SOIL IS COMPRESSIBLE

K – COEFFICIENT OF LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE

OUR INTEREST??
THE VALUE OF K UNDER DIFFERENT SOIL CONDITIONS
 Top slab

Reinforced earth wall

Slab culvert
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Earth Pressure at Rest
In a homogeneous natural soil deposit,
GL

v’
h’ X

the ratio h’/v’ is a constant known as coefficient

of earth pressure at rest (K0).

Importantly, at K0 state, there are no lateral strains.

18
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Estimating K0

For normally consolidated clays and granular soils,

K0 = 1 – sin ’ (Jaky, 1944)

For overconsolidated clays,

K0,overconsolidated = K0,normally consolidated OCR0.5

From elastic analysis,


K0  Poisson’s
1 ratio

19
 SOIL
σv z

σh σh = K0 γ z

H P0 = AREA OF PR.
P0
DIST. DIAG.
H/3 = 0.5 K0 γ H2

p0 = K0 γ H

K0 = 1 – (sin ϕ)

THREE quantities of interest in any retaining wall:

1. Lateral Pressure p0 at any desired depth z
2. Lateral Thrust (Resultant Force) on the wall P0
3. Point of action of Lateral Thrust (height z0 above base)
Earth pressure at Rest σv= γz
σh= Ko γz
A σh= 0 Ko = 1-sinϕ
at A z=0
z σv= γz = 0
σh = 0
H γ
ϕ
P at B z= H
H
σv= γz = γH
3
B σh= KoγH σh= KoγH
Earth pressure diagram

1 1
Horizontal force Po  x KoHxH  KoH 2
2 2
 σv= γz
σh= Ko γz
Ko = 1-sinϕ
A σh= 0
= 1-sin28◦ = 0.53
z at A z=0
σv= γz = 0
H γ= 18kN/m3
σh = 0
ϕ=28◦
P at B z= H
8
 2.67 m
3
B σh= KoγH
σh= KoγH=76.32 kN/m2
Earth pressure diagram (at rest) σh= 0.53x18x8=76.32kN/m2

1 1
Horizontal force Po  x KoHxH  KoH 2
2 2
1
Po  x0.53x18x82  305.28kN
2
For the retaining wall shown in Figure, determine the lateral earth
force at rest per unit length of the wall. Also determine the location of
the resultant force.
Ko = 1-sinϕ’
= 1-sin30◦ = 0.5
at z=0
σv’= γz = 0
σh’= 0
at z=2.5 m
σv’= 16.5x2.5 =41.25 kN/m2
σh’= Ko σv’ =0.5x41.25
= 20.63 kN/m2
at z=5.0 m
σv’= (16.5x2.5) + (19.3-9.81)x2.5 =64.98 kN/m 2

σh’= Ko σv’ =0.5x64.98

= 32.49 kN/m2
For the retaining wall shown in Figure, determine the lateral earth
force at rest per unit length of the wall. Also determine the location of
the resultant force.

Hydrostatic pressure distribution

at z=0 m, zw =0 m u = γwzw =0
z=2.5 m, zw =0 m u = γwzw =0

z =5.0 m, zw =2.5m
u = γwzw =9.81x2.5 =24.53 kN/m2
 For the retaining wall shown in Figure, determine the lateral earth
force at rest per unit length of the wall. Also determine the location of
the resultant force.
Horizontal force Po  Area 1  Area 2  Area 3  Area 4

1
20.63 kN/m2

2
3 4
32.49 kN/m2
24.53 kN/m2
Earth pressure dia.
Hydrostatic
1 1 1 pressure dia.
Po  ( x 20.63x 2.5)  (20.63x 2.5)  [ x(32.49  20.63) x 2.5]  ( x 24.53x 2.5)
2 2 2
Po  122.85 kN/m 2
 For the retaining wall shown in Figure, determine the lateral earth
force at rest per unit length of the wall. Also determine the location of
the resultant force.
Location of center of pressure measured from the bottom of the wall (point O)

1
20.63 kN/m2

P =122.85 kN
2
3 4
32.49 kN/m2
24.53 kN/m2
2.5 Earth pressure dia.
 2.5  3.33 Hydrostatic
3 2.5 2.5 pressure dia.
 1.25  0.833
2 3
Location of center of pressure measured from the bottom of the wall (point O)
mechanism to release water pressure
weep or drain hole
weep or drain hole
weep or drain hole
weep or drain hole
 Failure wedge

Failure surface

Movement of wall
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Active/Passive Earth Pressures
- in granular soils

Wall moves
away from soil

Wall moves A
towards soil
B

smooth wall

Let’s look at the soil elements A and B during the

wall movement. 39
 Mohr’s circle

Christian Otto Mohr

(1835-1918)

German civil engineer Otto Mohr (1835-1918). He developed

the graphical technique for drawing the circle in 1882.
 E

σR
A ϕ σn 2θ σt B
C O D

σ2

σ1
 Assumptions of Rankine's theory:

 The soil is homogeneous and isotropic, which means c, φ and γ have the
same values everywhere, and they have the same values in all directions at
every point.
 The most critical shear surface is a plane. In reality, it is slightly concave
up, but this is a reasonable assumption (especially for the active case) and it
simplifies the analysis.
 Wall is vertical and smooth [ no friction at the contact surface between
wall and soil].
 The wall is infinitely long so that the problem may be analyzed in only two
dimensions. Geotechnical engineers refer to this as a plane strain condition.
 The wall moves sufficiently to develop the active or passive condition.