Soil and Water Retaining Walls
Soil and Water Retaining Walls
Soil and Water Retaining Walls
H = Retained height
b = Bottom width
z = Footing depth
H
Calculation Table
H b z Masonry Masonry
Volume Cost
z (m) (m) (m) (m3/m1) (Afs)
0.50 0.50 0.38 0.44
0.60 0.50 0.47 0.53
0.80 0.50 0.62 0.71 0.68
b 1.00 0.55 0.76 0.94
1.20 0.66 0.89 1.28
Note: 1.40 0.77 1.00 1.66
A special design with all the active and passive 1.60 0.88 1.10 2.08
earth forces shall be needed for retained heights 1.80 0.99 1.20 2.53
H > 4.0 m 2.00 1.10 1.28 3.01
2.20 1.21 1.36 3.52
2.40 1.32 1.43 4.07
2.60 1.43 1.50 4.65
2.80 1.54 1.56 5.26 0.590062
3.00 1.65 1.62 5.90
3.20 1.76 1.69 6.59
3.40 1.87 1.75 7.31
3.60 1.98 1.82 8.07
3.80 2.09 1.90 8.88
4.00 2.20 1.98 9.75
Values for b and z may be rounded off to 0.05 units
H = Retained height
b = Bottom width
H z = Footing depth
0.3
b=
1.06
1
h
3
b
0.3 m
PCC (1:2:4)
STABILITY CALCULATION OF SOIL AND WATER RETAINING WALLS
(Includes design for soil retaining walls higher than 4.0 m by Coulomb's wedge theory)
Dimensions and conditions (all to be filled in):
Shape variables: a= 2.50 m c = 1.00
b= 0.00 m Notes: if d and e = 0 and c≥ 0.4 then structure may be of masonry.
c= 1.00 m if e>0 than base should be at least of (reinforced) concrete. 1.35
Heel slab d = 0.15 m i<φ or <angle of repose i
Toe slab e= 0.15 m If structure acts as water dam then fill in 0 for the soil densities
f= 1.60 m If structure is a cantilever wall (L-wall): h=0 and B is 2/5 - ⅔ (a+b) b = 0.00 φw Pa1
g= 0.70 m
h= 0.00 m Notes:
Soil density (ghumid) = 17.0 kN/m 3 When hw1 > 0 then φw = 0 under the groundwater table
Soil density (gsaturated) = 19.0 kN/m 3 If d>0 then φw is reduced depending on length d and angle α (giving line from heel of Groundwater table
Density of wall material (gwall) = 22.5 kN/m 3
base to sloping back face of wall indicating onto where sliding planes may take place) a = 2.50 β
Density of base material (gfooting) = 22.0 kN/m3 30.0 (º) = α, then the reduced contact length of sliding planes with inclined wall Pa
Internal friction angle (φ) = 30 º is calculated by sinus-rule: 0.10 Then, φw reduced = 0.0 (º)
Friction angle with sloping wall face (φw) = 0 º hw1 =
Angle of sloping backfill/soil surcharge (i) = 0 º Open water surface φw 2.00
Traffic surcharge (q); only when i ≤ 5o = 0.0 kN/m2
Traffic surcharge does also act on the top no (yes or no)
Height of groundwater behind wall (hw1) = 2.00 m Note: OK ⅓a
Height of open water in front of wall (hw2) = 2.50 m h = 0.00 m
Friction factor against sliding (μ) = 0.55 Note: OK hw2 Pp g ⅓ hw1
Bridge abutment design: point load on top = 0 kN/m' Note: take dead load + minimum live load for stability against sliding f e d
Longitudinal force at top (horiz. force) = 0 kN/m'
Allowable bearing pressure = 500.00 kN/m2 Results : - Factor of safety against sliding = 2.01
Maximum allowable compressive stress: - Factor of safety against overturning = 1.51 B= 2.00 m
- of wall material 1.4 N/mm2 - Bearing pressure below the toe = 106.43 kN/m2 (base width accepted)
- of base material 20.0 N/mm2 - Compressive stress in material of the toe = 0.11 N/mm2
Assumption: - Bearing pressure below the heel = 1.30 kN/m2 Section of Structure with Shape Variables to design a
Backfill is non-cohesive and homogeneous Gravity, Semi-Gravity, T or L-wall to retain water or soil
Automatic calculation of active and passive forces Pa and Pp, weights, uplift, and stability calculation: Notes:
Sometimes one uses ⅔ φ, or μ = ⅔ tan(φ) on granular material
Angle of Coeff. Level Pressure developed Force acting Traffic Lever arm Moments about φw ≤ φ. A very smooth wall face will have φw = 0
sloping of active differ- in each different section Δh in each different Surcharge Force about the toe the toe of the
wall face soil force ences Inclined Horizont. Vertical section Δh of the base base Some soil mechanical parameters are given below:
b Ka or Δh pa pa, hor. pa, vert. Pa, hor. Pa, vert. SFa, hor. SFa, vert. Vertic. Horiz. Stabiliz. Destabil.
A. Soil Forces (º) la (m) (kN) (kN) (kN) (kN) (kN) (kN) (kN) (m) (m) (kNm) (kNm) Friction factor Friction
Against head of wall (b>0): against sliding angle with
- above groundwater: 0.3333 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 sloping face
- in groundwater (φw=0) : 0.3333 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 μ φw
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (º)
Against sloping back face: Cement concrete on:
- above groundwater: 0.00 0.3333 2.10 11.90 11.90 0.00 12.50 0.00 2.70 0.00 0.00 33.74 - on masonry 0.65 33
- in groundwater (φw=0) : 0.00 0.3333 0.40 1.20 1.20 0.00 5.00 0.00 1.80 0.00 0.00 8.98 - concrete 0.60 31
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - clay 0.20
Against right side of footing : - medium clay 0.3 - 0.35
- above groundwater: 0.3333 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - gravel/sand, no silt/clay 0.55 29
- in groundwater (φw=0) : 0.3333 1.60 4.80 4.80 0.00 24.80 0.00 0.76 0.00 0.00 18.82 - gravel/sand + silt 0.45 24
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - silt - fine sand 0.35 - 0.45
Against left side of footing : lp Δh pp, hor. Pp, hor. Pp, vert. - loose clean or silty sand 13
- above groundwater (φw=0) : 3.0000 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - stone, coarse surf. 0.6 - 0.7
- in groundwater (φw=0) : 3.0000 1.60 43.20 0.00 34.56 0.53 18.43 - bare rock, rough 0.80
Note: If soil will not erode away, copy red figures in cells J54 and J55.
B. Water Forces Stone masonry on:
Water force Pw1 = 2.00 20.00 0.67 13.33 - stone masonry 0.6-.075 31-37
Water force Pw2 = 2.50 31.25 0.83 26.04 - concrete 0.65 33
- good solid rock 0.75 37
C. Weight of Retaining Wall - coarse stone/gravel 0.60 31
(- above groundwater :) 146.34 0.00 0.65 1.08 158.48 - gravel 0.50 26.6
(- hydraulic uplift in groundwater :) (footing) 1.60 32.00 1.00 32.00 - sand 0.4 22
(sloping wall) 0.90 14.17 2.46 34.83 - loose clean sand 13
(head) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - medium to dense clean sand 17 - 20
- loose silty sand 13
D. Weight of Retained Earth Atotal Aabove G.W. Asubm. Ws - medium to dense silty sand 15 - 17
- no groundwater : 1. behind sloping wall : 0.38 0.32 5.36 1.93 10.31 - clay 0.50
2. behind head of wall : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - moist clay 0.31 17
3. sloping backfill : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - dry clay
4. Surcharge force on heel slab 0.00 1.93 0.00
0.60 20
- with groundwater : 1. groundwater behind sloping wall : 0.06 0.54 1.93 1.04 Brick masonry on:
2. groundwater behind head of wall : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - sand
3. groundwater in sloping backfill : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
E. Bridge Abutment
- Point load by live load and dead load of bridge 0.00 1.35 0.00
- Longitudinal force due to breaking and temperature 0.00 4.10 0.00
Allowable
F. Weight of Water Δhwater Sloping Behind Sloping Horizontal lever arms Bearing
on base Wall Head backfill Sloping wall Head Slop. Backf. Soil type Pressure
- with groundwater, but no open water : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.93 0.00 0.00 0.00 (kN/m2)
- with open water, but no groundwater: 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Clays and silts (saturated):
- when hw1>hw2 : 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - Soft (N = 6) 23
- when hw2>hw1 (e.g. when sudden rise in open water) : 0.50 1.66 0.05 0.09 - Medium (N = 5 - 10) 46
0.000 0.000 0.400 0.000 0.000 - Stiff (N = 11 - 20) 91
G. Uplift below Base hw1 hw2 Δhwater Pu, vert. - Hard (N > 20) 137
2.00 2.50 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 - Firm sandy clays 100
Note: if no uplift by pore pressure under base, copy figure to the cell below and delete figure in cell F89 - Stiff sandy clays 200
H. Safety Factors Stabilizing Horizontal Forces Safety - Very stiff boulder clays 350
Vertical Forces Stabilizing De-stabilizing Factors Silt < 50
- Against Sliding : 107.73 125.06 62.30 2.01 Gravel and sand layers alternated, partly with
silt contents 210
- Against Overturning : 1.51 214.39 141.70 Loose well graded sands and gravel/sand mixt. 100
Compact well graded sands and gravel/sand mixt. 200
Loose coarse sand 200
I. Bearing Pressure (BP) and Safety against Crushing Fine to medium sand, saturated, loose to
- Location of the resultant force R from the toe of the base (x) : 0.67 m. The middle third of the base starts 0.67 m from the toe of the base, therefore unequal com- medium dense compacted 160
- pressive stresses causing a bending moment at the base will not develop over some length from the toe. Medium dense sand 100 - 300
- Excentricity (e) = 0.33 m. Medium dense sand and gravel (N = 10 -29) 270
- Maximum bearing pressure below the toe of the base = 106.43 kN/m2 The allowable bearing pressure is : 500.00 kN/m2 so that the maximum bearing Dense sand and gravel (N = 40 - 49) 320
pressure under the toe is OK. The compressive stress in the toe of the base is: 0.11 N/mm2. The maximum allowable compressive stress is Very dense sand and gravel (N>50) 360
1.00 N/mm2, so that the base material will not crack or crush due to the tension in the material. Moderately dense gravel or sand and gravel mixt. 200
- The minimum bearing pressure under the heel of the base = 1.30 kN/m2. Under normal stability requirement such as for L-walls, this value should be slightly positive Medium dense gravel or sand and gravel mixture 600
so that the entire base provides pressure to the (soil) foundation (and moments in the base slab remain positive). Compact gravel 550 - 800
River boulders and coarse gravel, loose to
medium dense compacted 350
Loose uniform sands < 100
Compact uniform sands 150
Medium dense cohesionless sands 100
Dense cohesionless sands 200
1.1116
Coulomb Theory of Retaining Walls with Possible Sliding Wedges
Coulomb equation calculating maximum Pa for sloping wall face and sloping, dry backfill
Angle of Internal Wall Angle of Coeff. of When surcharge q acts
Soil Wall wall face friction friction back- active soil (i = 0o)
density height at top angle angle fill soil force force
g H b φ φw i la Pa
(kN/m3) (m) (º) (º) (º) (º) (kN) (kN/m2)
18 4 0 25 20 0 0.357 51.46 10.8
Assuming fw=0 one stays on the safe side (saturation in backfill, smooth wall)
b
⅓H
B= 0.40 m
( Busual = 2.20 m)
SAFETY AGAINST HYDRAULIC UPLIFT OF STRUCTUR
Dimensions
th monolithic RCC.
Width of flume
15.80
0.20
1.00
weephole
3.07
1.60 ?
0.31
0.50 hw1
0.31
17.04 m
Coulomb Theory of Retaining Walls with Possible Sliding Wedges
Coulomb equation calculating maximum Pa for sloping wall face and sloping, dry backfill
Angle of Internal Wall Angle of Coeff. of When surcharge q acts
Soil Wall wall face friction friction back- active soil (i = 0o)
density height at top angle angle fill soil force force
g H b φ φw i la Pa
(kN/m3) (m) (º) (º) (º) (º) (kN) (kN/m2)
18 4 0 25 20 0 0.357 51.46 10.8
Assuming fw=0 one stays on the safe side (saturation in backfill, smooth wall)
b
⅓H
B= 0.40 m
( Busual = 2.20 m)