Lateral Earth Pressures

N. Sivakugan
Duration: 18 min
SIVA
Copyright2001
2
Contents
Geotechnical applications
K
0
, active & passive states
Rankines earth pressure theory


Design of retaining walls
A Mini Quiz
A 2-minute break
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Copyright2001
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Lateral Support
In geotechnical engineering, it is often necessary to
prevent lateral soil movements.
Cantilever
retaining wall
Braced excavation Anchored sheet pile
Tie rod
Sheet pile
Anchor
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Lateral Support
We have to estimate the lateral soil pressures acting on
these structures, to be able to design them.
Gravity Retaining
wall
Soil nailing
Reinforced earth wall
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Soil Nailing
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Sheet Pile
Sheet piles marked for driving
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Sheet Pile
Sheet pile wall
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Sheet Pile
During installation
Sheet pile wall
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Lateral Support
Reinforced earth walls are increasingly becoming popular.
geosynthetics
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Lateral Support
Crib walls have been used in Queensland.
Interlocking
stretchers
and headers
filled with
soil
Good drainage & allow plant growth.
Looks good.
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Earth Pressure at Rest
GL
In a homogeneous natural soil deposit,
X
o
h

o
v

the ratio o
h
/o
v
is a constant known as coefficient
of earth pressure at rest (K
0
).
Importantly, at K
0
state, there are no lateral strains.
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Estimating K
0

For normally consolidated clays and granular soils,
K
0
= 1 sin |
For overconsolidated clays,
K
0,overconsolidated
= K
0,normally consolidated
OCR
0.5

From elastic analysis,
u
u

=
1
0
K
Poissons
ratio
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Active/Passive Earth Pressures
- in granular soils
smooth wall
Wall moves
away from soil
Wall moves
towards soil
A
B
Lets look at the soil elements A and B during the
wall movement.
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Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
A
o
v

o
h

z
As the wall moves away from the soil,
Initially, there is no lateral movement.
o
v
= z
o
h
= K
0
o
v
= K
0
z
o
v
remains the same; and
o
h
decreases till failure occurs.
Active state
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Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
t
o o
v

decreasing o
h

Initially (K
0
state)
Failure (Active state)
As the wall moves away from the soil,
active earth
pressure
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Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
o
v
[o
h
]
active

t
o
|
' ] ' [
v A active h
K o o =
) 2 / 45 ( tan
sin 1
sin 1
2
|
|
|
=
+

=
A
K
Rankines coefficient of
active earth pressure
WJM Rankine
(1820-1872)
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Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
o
v
[o
h
]
active

t
o
|
A
o
v

o
h

45 + /2
90+
Failure plane is at
45 + |/2 to horizontal
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Active Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
A
o
v

o
h

z
As the wall moves away from the soil,
o
h
decreases till failure occurs.
wall movement
o
h

Active
state
K
0
state
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Active Earth Pressure
- in cohesive soils
Follow the same steps as
for granular soils. Only
difference is that c = 0.
A v A active h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ = o o
Everything else the same
as for granular soils.
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
B
o
v

o
h

Initially, soil is in K
0
state.
As the wall moves towards the soil,
o
v
remains the same, and
o
h
increases till failure occurs.
Passive state
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
t
o o
v

Initially (K
0
state)
Failure (Active state)
As the wall moves towards the soil,
increasing o
h

passive earth
pressure
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
o
v
[o
h
]
passive

t
o
|
' ] ' [
v P passive h
K o o =
) 2 / 45 ( tan
sin 1
sin 1
2
|
|
|
+ =

+
=
P
K
Rankines coefficient of
passive earth pressure
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Copyright2001
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
o
v

[o
h
]
passive

t
o
|
A
o
v

o
h

90+
Failure plane is at
45 - |/2 to horizontal
45 - /2
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in granular soils
B
o
v

o
h

As the wall moves towards the soil,
o
h
increases till failure occurs.
wall movement
o
h

K
0
state
Passive state
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Copyright2001
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Passive Earth Pressure
- in cohesive soils
Follow the same steps as
for granular soils. Only
difference is that c = 0.
P v P passive h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ + = o o
Everything else the same
as for granular soils.
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Earth Pressure Distribution
- in granular soils
[o
h
]
passive

[o
h
]
active

H
h
K
A
H K
P
h
P
A
=0.5 K
A
H
2

P
P
=0.5 K
P
h
2

P
A
and P
P
are the
resultant active and
passive thrusts on
the wall
Wall movement
(not to scale)
o
h

Passive state
Active state
K
0
state
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Copyright2001
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Rankines Earth Pressure Theory
Assumes smooth wall
Applicable only on vertical walls
P v P passive h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ + = o o
A v A active h
K c K 2 ' ] ' [ = o o
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Retaining Walls - Applications
Road
Train
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Retaining Walls - Applications
highway
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Retaining Walls - Applications
basement wall
High-rise building
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Gravity Retaining Walls
cobbles
cement mortar
plain concrete or
stone masonry
They rely on their self weight to
support the backfill
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Cantilever Retaining Walls
They act like vertical cantilever,
fixed to the ground
Reinforced;
smaller section
than gravity
walls
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Design of Retaining Wall
1
1
2
2
3
3
toe
toe
W
i
= weight of block i
x
i
= horizontal distance of centroid of block i from toe
Block no.
- in granular soils
1
1
2
2
3
3
P
A

P
A

P
P

P
P

S
S toe
toe
R
R
y
y
Safety against sliding along the base

tan }. {
A
i P
sliding
P
W P
F

+
=
o
H
h
soil-concrete friction
angle ~ 0.5 0.7 |
to be greater
than 1.5
P
P
= 0.5 K
P
h
2
P
A
= 0.5 K
A
H
2

1
1
2
2
3
3
P
A

P
A

P
P

P
P

S
S toe
toe
R
R
y
y
Safety against overturning about toe
H/3
} { 3 /
A
i i P
g overturnin
P
x W h P
F

+
=
H
h
to be greater
than 2.0
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Copyright2001
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Points to Ponder
How does the key help in improving the stability
against sliding?
Shouldnt we design retaining walls to resist at-rest
(than active) earth pressures since the thrust on the
wall is greater in K
0
state (K
0
> K
A
)?