1415 N 32nd, Fort Smith, AR 72904 Ph: 800-736-9089 Fax:479-785-0633

To: Engineers: Thank you very much for your interest in our products and solutions. The purpose of this calculator is to show the simplicity and ease of designing Terra Aqua Gabions gravity retaining walls. We are using the familiar Excel environment to illustrate each step of the calculations used in the gabion gravity retaining walls design analysis for verification. Additional calculations may have to be performed including and not limiting to global stability analysis (by Geotechnical Engineer), seismic forces (by Seismic Engineer) and hydraulic forces (by Hydraulic Engineer). Please check local, State and Federal requirements. The calculator assumes drained uniformed retained and foundation soil properties. The calculations should be reviewed, checked and certified by a Professional Engineer. To the best of our knowledge, the calculator and information was prepared accurately. Terra Aqua is not responsible for the reliability and validity of the geotechnical parameters assumed in the calculations. The calculator is intended to provide design assistance to the engineer for the purpose of designing with Terra Aqua products. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or if you are in need of any assistance. We will assist you in anyway we can.

Colin Glass Terra Aqua Gabions 5/30/2007

TERRA AQUA GABIONS GRAVITY RETAINING WALL CALCULATIONS (STRAIGHT LINE BACK)
PROJECT NAME: LOCATION: GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER: NOTES: PROJECT #: SECTION: REPORT #: DRAWING #: DATE:

Descriptions

symbols

Input Values 18.440 28.000 20.000 22.400 6.000 96.000 0 150.000 125.000 138.000 30.000 96.600 11.934 3.000 7.5 2000.000

Units

Notes

Backfill slope angle above wall Angle of internal friction Wall friction reduction by geotextile Angle of wall friction Inclination angle to vertical plane Back of wall angle to horizontal Cohesion Surcharge Soil density Rock density Void in gabion Gabion density Actual height of wall Embedment Width of base Allowable soil bearing capacity

fr c q s r v g H d B qa

%
psf psf pcf pcf

< Back of wall (100-fr)/100 for wall with straight back (no offsets) 90+ Ignore cohesion

%
pcf ft ft ft psf

r(100-v)/100 (hCos) Corrected for inclination

0 ft to ignore passive thrust determined by Geotechnical Engineer

45 42 39 36

GABION RETAINING WALL

ROW 1 ROW 2 ROW 3 ROW 4 ROW 5

33 30

ROW 6

ROW 7 ROW 8 ROW 9

27 24

ROW 10

21

ROW 11

18 15 12 9

ROW 12 ROW 13 ROW 14 ROW 15 EMBEDMT

6
BACKFILL

3 0 -3 -3 -6 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36

X
Width (ft) Height (ft) offset (from toe) (ft) Area (ft) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 9.000 13.500 18.000 22.500 63.000 X (ft) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 6.000 5.250 4.500 3.750 4.607 Moment (ft) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 54.000 70.875 81.000 84.375 290.250 Y (ft) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 10.500 7.500 4.500 1.500 4.929 Moment (ft) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 94.500 101.250 81.000 33.750 310.500

Row # 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

3.0 4.5 6.0 7.5

h=
1 COULOMB'S THEORY

3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 12.0

4.50 3.00 1.50 0.00

BACK Active earth pressure coefficient

Ka =
Sin Sin(-)

Sin(+) 1+ Sin(+) Sin(-) 0.687 1+

Sin(-) Sin(+)

0.989

0.959

0.771 0.959

0.166 0.910

0.687 1.814 0.379 Active soil thrust

Ps = =

0.5Kas 3372.263 Sin Sin(+) 0.995 0.910 740.835

H
lb/ft

Active surcharge thrust

Pq =

KaqH

678.168

=
Horizontal active soil thrust

lb/ft

Phs = =

PsCos(- )
3235.059 lb/ft

Horizontal active surcharge thrust

Phq = =

PqCos(- )
710.693 lb/ft

Vertical active soil thrust

Pvs = =

PsSin(- )
952.130 lb/ft

Vertical active surcharge thrust

Pvq = =

PqSin(- )
209.168 lb/ft

FRONT Inclination angle to vertical Front face angle to horizontal Backfill slope Angle of wall friction Passive earth pressure coefficient

p = p = = p = p = Kp =

0.000 90-p 90.000 0.000 0.000 Sin(-) 1Sin(+) Sin(+) 0.780

Sin

Sin(+)

Sin(+) Sin(+)

1.000

1.000

1-

0.469 1.000

0.469 1.000

0.780 0.281 2.770 Passive soil thrust

Pp = =

0.5Kps 1558.027

d
lb/ft

2 Check Overturning: Vertical distance to Phs

Yhs = =

H/3-BSin
3.194 ft

Vertical distance to Phq

Yhq = =

H/2-BSin
5.183 ft

Overturning moment

Mo =

YhsPhs +

YhqPhq

=
Weight of Gabion

14016.823

ft-lb / ft

Wg = =

A g
6085.800 lb / ft

Horizontal distance to W g

Xg = =

Ysin
5.097

XCos
ft

Horizontal distance to Pvs

Xvs =

B/Cos +
7.877

(H/3-BSin)Tan

Horizontal distance to Pvq

Xvq =

B/Cos +
8.086

(H/2-BSin)Tan

Vertical distance to Pp

YPp = =

d/3
1.000

Resisting moment

Mr = =

W g Xg +
41769.145

Pvs Xvs + Pvq Xvq +

ft-lb / ft

PpYPp

Overturning factor of safety

SFo =

Mr Mo
2.980

2.000

O.K

3 Check Sliding

Total Normal forces

W = =

WgCos +
7456.983

PsSin +
lb/ft Tan 0.532

PqSin -

PpSin

Frictional force

Ff

= = =

W
7456.983 3964.948

Total Resisting Forces

Fr = =

Ff + CosPp
5514.440

Total Driving Forces at base

Fd =

PsCos +
3166.609

PqCos -

W gSin

Siding factor of safety

SFs =

Fr Fd
1.741

1.500

O.K

4 Check the Eccentricity of Resultant Force (Resultant is in middle one third) Eccentricity

0.5 B

O.K

( Mr

Mo)

= =

3.750

3.722

-B/6
-1.250

e
0.028

O.K

+B/6
1.250

5 Check Bearing Applied bearing pressure

W B
994.264 1016.810 971.719

(1

6e/B)

=
Left Right

(1
psf psf

0.023

)
2000.000 2000.000 O.K O.K

= =

Additional calculations may have to be performed including and not limiting to global stability analysis (by (Geotechnical Engineer), seismic forces (by Seismic Engineer) and hydraulic forces (by Hydraulic Engineer). Please check local, State and Federal requirements. The calculator assumes drained uniformed retained and foundation soil properties. The calculations should be reviewed, checked and certified by a Professional Engineer. To the best of our knowledge, the calculator and information was prepared accurately. Terra Aqua is not responsible for the reliability and validity of the geotechnical parameters assumed in the calculations. The calculator is intended to provided design design assistance to the engineer for the purpose of designing with Terra Aqua products.