CIVL

 4720  Geotechnical  Analysis  and  Design,  Fall  2014  

Assignment  1  Lateral  Earth  Pressure  

  (Due  date:  5:00pm  Thursday  25  Sept,  2014)  

1. [70  marks]   A   frictionless   retaining   wall   is   shown   in   Fig.1.   H = 7m ,   H1 = 4m ,   H 3 = 1.8m .   The  

wall  has  an  embedment  in  the  ground  of   H 2 = 1.0m .  The  soil  properties  are  as  follows.  Soil  1:  

γ 1 = 16kN/m3 ,   φ1ʹ′ = 32o,   c1ʹ′ = 10kN/m 2 ;  Soil  2:  Dry   unit  weight   γ 2 = 17kN/m3 ,  saturated  unit  

weight   is   γ 2( sat ) = 19kN/m3 ,   φ2ʹ′ = 36o ,   c2ʹ′ = 8kN/m 2 .   The   unit   weight   of   water   is  

γ w = 9.81 kN/m 3 .   The   surcharge   applied   to   the   ground   level   is   q = 15kN/m2 .   The   soils   are  

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er as
normally  consolidated.  GWT  denotes  the  ground  water  table.  

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(a) [10  marks]  Determine  the  at-­‐rest  force   P0   the  wall  is  subjected  to  from  the  soils  behind  

eH w
the  wall  and  the  resultant  location.  And  the  draw  the  pressure  distribution  (to  scale).  (The  

o.
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total  length  of  the  wall  including  the  embedment  needs  to  be  considered).  
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(b) [30   marks]   If   the   wall   yields   sufficiently   to   the   left   to   develop   active   condition   for   soils  
behind  the  wall  and  meanwhile  render  the  soil  in  front  of  the  wall  in  passive  condition,  
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determine   the   active   force   Pa   per   unit   length   the   wall   sustains   from   behind   and   the  
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passive  force   Pp   from  the  front,  as  well  as  their  respective  resultant  location.  Draw  their  
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CIVL 372 Geotechnical Analysis and Design, Fall 2010

pressure   distributions   (to   scale).   Compare   the   active   force   Pa   the   wall   sustains   from  
behind  with  the  at-­‐rest  force   P0   in  Part  (a).  
Assignment 1 Lateral Earth Pressure
(c) [10  marks]  If  tension  crack  is  allowed  in  Soil  1,  determine  the  depth  of  the  tension  crack  
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and  recalculate  the  Rankine’s  active  force   Pa   and  the  resultant  location  after  the  tension  
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crack  occurs.   (Reference Solutions)

(d) [20   marks]   Consider   the   material   point   right   below   the   GWT   behind   the   wall,   Point   A  
shown  in  Fig.  1.  Draw  the  Mohr  circles  when  its  stress  state  is  at  rest,  in  active  and  passive  
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Q1: Solution
states,  respective.  Please  also  plot  the  Mohr-­‐Coulomb  failure  envelope  as  a  reference  line.  
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q
sh

H1
z

H 1 , 1 , c1

2 , 2 , c2
H3
A"
H4 2 sat
, 2 , c2
H2
, 2 , c2
2 sat
Fig.1      

Fig.1 Engineering  @  HKUST  

Dept  of  Civil  and  Environmental   1  
https://www.coursehero.com/file/10391481/CIVL4720-2014-Assign-1/
Refer to the z in Fig.1

Part (a)
 CIVL  4720  Geotechnical  Analysis  and  Design,  Fall  2014  

 
2. [10  marks]   Refer  to  Fig.2.  For  the  frictionless  retaining  wall,   H = 6m .  The  backfill  is  a  clean  
sand   with   γ = 18kN/m3 ,   φ ʹ′ = 36o ,   cʹ′ = 0 .   tan α = 0.4 .   Use   Rankine’s   method   to   determine  
the  normal  and  shear  forces  per  unit  length  acting  on  the  back  of  the  wall.  We   assume  that  
the  wall  moves  sufficiently  to  develop  the  active  condition  in  the  soil.  

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eH w
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Fig.2  

3. [20   marks]   A  retaining  wall  is  shown  in  Fig.3.  The  height  of  the  wall  is  8m,  and  the  unit  weight  
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of   the   backfill   is   γ = 18kN/m 3 .   Calculate   the   active   force   Pa   and   the   passive   force   Pp   per  
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unit  length  of  the  wall  using  Coulomb’s  method  for  the  following  values  of  the  angle  of  wall  
friction.  Use  the  Shields  and  Tolunay  (1973)  solution  to  calculate   Pp   and  compare  it  with  the  
Coulomb’s  result.    
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ar stu

(a)  [5  marks]   δ ʹ′ = 0o ;  (b)  [10  marks]   δ ʹ′ = 15o ;  (c)  [5  marks]   δ ʹ′ = 22o .  
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Th
sh

Fig.3  

Dept  of  Civil  and  Environmental  Engineering  @  HKUST   2  

https://www.coursehero.com/file/10391481/CIVL4720-2014-Assign-1/

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