Review Module – Geotechnical Engineering (Lateral Earth Pressure)

LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE SITUATION 1. A cohesionless 5 m high retaining wall supports a soil with
- Horizontal Soil Stress unit weight 16 kN/m3, angle of internal friction of 25⁰. Determine the force
per unit length of the wall and the location of the resultant on:
Vertical Earth Pressure, 𝒑𝒗 = 𝜸𝒉 1. At rest condition.
Lateral Earth Pressure, 𝒑𝒉 = 𝒌𝜸𝒉 2. Rankine active condition.
3. Rankine passive condition.
where:
k – lateral earth pressure coefficient
SITUATION 2. A vertical retaining wall 7 m high is supporting a horizontal
𝛾 – effective unit weight of soil
backfill having a moist unit weight of 17 kN/m3 and a saturated unit weight
h – height of soil
of 20 kN/m3. Angle of internal friction above and below the water table are
30° and 35° respectively with OCR = 2 below the water table. Ground
Three Categories
water table is located 3 m below the ground surface.
1. At Rest – soil pressure which causes no wall movement
4. Determine the at rest lateral earth force per meter length of the wall.
2. Active – soil pressure which causes wall to move away from soil
5. Determine the location of the resultant force.
3. Passive – soil pressure which causes wall to move toward soil
6. Determine the at rest lateral earth force per meter length of the wall
and location if it carries a surcharge of 80 KPa.
At Rest Condition
𝒑𝒐 = 𝒌𝒐 𝜸𝒉 SITUATION 3. A gravity retaining wall retains 12 m of backfill having a unit
where: 𝑘𝑜 – at-rest earth pressure coefficient weight of 16 KN/m3 and an angle of internal friction of 25⁰ with a uniform
horizontal surface. Assume that the wall interface to be vertical.
At-Rest Earth Pressure Coefficient 7. Compute the magnitude of the total active force
8. Compute the magnitude of the total active pressure at the base of
Jacky, 1944: 𝒌𝒐 = 𝟏 − 𝐬𝐢𝐧 ∅ the wall if the water table is at a height of 6 m with a submerged unit
Sherif, Fang and Sherif, 1984: 𝒌𝒐 = (𝟏 − 𝐬𝐢𝐧 ∅) + 𝟓. 𝟓 (
𝜸𝒅𝒓𝒚
− 𝟏)
weight of 12 kN/m3.
𝜸𝒅𝒓𝒚(𝐦𝐢𝐧) 9. By how much is the location of the active force gets lowered due to
Massarsch, 1979: 𝒌𝒐 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟒 + 𝟎. 𝟒𝟐𝑷𝑰 the presence of the water table?

OCR: 𝒌𝒐(𝑶𝑪) = (𝟏 − 𝐬𝐢𝐧 ∅)√𝑶𝑪𝑹 SITUATION 4. A retaining wall has a vertical back and is 10 m high. The
soil is clayey with γ = 18 kN/m3. It shows cohesion of 18 KPa and an angle
Active Condition of internal friction of 30°. The upper surface of the fill is horizontal.
𝒑𝒂 = 𝒌𝒂 𝜸𝒉 10. Determine the critical depth of the wall (depth of tensile crack).
11. Determine the total thrust on the wall before the tensile crack.
where: 𝑘𝑎 – active earth pressure coefficient 12. Determine the total thrust on the wall after tensile crack develops.
13. Determine the maximum unsupported depth of the vertical cut.
Passive Condition
𝒑𝒑 = 𝒌𝒑 𝜸𝒉 SITUATION 5. A vertical retaining wall 7 m high retains a soil with the
following properties. Unit weight of cohesionless soil = 21.0 kN/m3, angle
where: 𝑘𝑝 – passive earth pressure coefficient of internal friction = 30°. The ground surface behind the wall is inclined at
a slope of 5H:1V and the wall has moved sufficiently to develop active
Rankine Theory, 1857 condition.
14. Determine Rankine’s coefficient of active earth pressure
Active Earth Pressure Coefficient: When 𝜷 = 𝟎° 15. Determine the moment develop by active force in KN-m.
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷−√𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜷−𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 ∅ 𝟏−𝒔𝒊𝒏 ∅
16. Determine the force acting perpendicular on the back of the wall.
𝒌𝒂 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷 [ ] 𝒌𝒂 = 𝟏+𝒔𝒊𝒏 ∅ 17. Determine the force acting parallel on the back of the wall
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷+√𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜷−𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 ∅

Passive Earth Pressure Coefficient: When 𝜷 = 𝟎° SITUATION 5. An 8-m high retaining wall holds a soil layer with water
table at the ground surface shown in the figure. The wall is un-restrained
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷+√𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜷−𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 ∅ 𝟏+𝒔𝒊𝒏 ∅ from yielding.
𝒌𝒑 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷 [ ] 𝒌𝒑 = 𝟏−𝒔𝒊𝒏 ∅
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜷−√𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜷−𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 ∅

Where: ∅ – angle of internal friction (or angle of shearing resistance)

𝛽 – slope of backfill (soil mass)

Additional Earth Pressure Parameters

Water: 𝒑𝒘 = 𝜸𝒘 𝒉

Cohesion: 𝒑𝒄 = −𝟐𝒄√𝒌 (Active)

𝒑𝒄 = 𝟐𝒄√𝒌 (Passive)

Surcharge: 𝒑𝒒 = 𝒌𝒒
18. Determine the location of the resultant passive force.
19. Determine the total passive moment acting on the wall.
 Review Module – Geotechnical Engineering (Lateral Earth Pressure)

COMBINATION OF RANKINE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE CONDITION COULOMB’S THEORY, 1857

SITUATION 6. The anchored sheet-pile wall supports a mass of soil as Active Earth Pressure Coefficient:
shown in the figure with the following properties. The anchor rod is
placed 2 m below the ground surface. sin2 (β + ∅)
Ka = 2
sin(∅ + δ)sin(∅ − α)
sin2 (β)sin(β − δ) [1 + √ ]
sin(β − δ)sin(β + α)

20. Determine the embedment depth d.

21. Determine the total active force.
22. Determine the total passive force.
23. Determine the safe value of T.

SITUATION 2. From the given figure below. Using Ranking Theory, Passive Earth Pressure Coefficient:
frictional coefficient is 0.35 at the base of gravity retaining wall. Use unit sin2 (β − ∅)
weight of concrete γc = 24 kN/m3. Kp = 2
sin(∅ + δ)sin(∅ + α)
sin2 (β)sin(β + δ) [1 − √ ]
sin(β + δ)sin(β + α)

Where: ∅ – angle of internal friction (or angle of shearing resistance)

24. Compute the total active force acting on the wall. β – angle of back face inclined with the horizontal
25. Compute the total passive force acting on the wall. δ – wall friction angle
26. Compute the total vertical force acting on the retaining wall. α – slope of backfill (soil mass)
27. Compute the total horizontal force that resist sliding. SITUATION 1. An 8-m high gravity retainin
28. Compute the factor of safety against sliding. g wall retains a granular backfill where the ground is inclined to the
29. Compute the factor of safety against overturning. horizontal at 10°. The friction angle and bulk unit weight of the backfill
are 30° and 20 kN/m3. The wall is inclined at 70° to horizontal. Using
Coulomb’s theory and assuming a wall friction angle of 8°.
30. Find the active earth pressure coefficient.
31. Find the magnitude of the of the active thrust on wall.
32. Find the location (from bottom) of the of the active thrust on wall.
33. Determine the active moment due to active thrust on wall.