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:

PROJECT #:

LOCATION:

SECTION:

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER:

REPORT #:

NOTES:

DRAWING #:
DATE:

Descriptions

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

symbols

fr

c
q
s
r
v
g
H
d
B
qa

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

psf
psf
pcf
pcf

Notes

<
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

GABION RETAINING WALL

45

ROW 1

42

ROW 2

39

ROW 3
ROW 4

36

ROW 5

33

ROW 6

30
X

ROW 7
ROW 8

27

ROW 9

24

ROW 10

21

ROW 11

18

ROW 12

15

ROW 13
ROW 14

12
ROW 15

EMBEDMT

BACKFILL

3
0
-3
-3

12

15

-6

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

Width
(ft)

Height
(ft)

offset
(from toe) (ft)

3.0
4.5
6.0
7.5

3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
12.0

4.50
3.00
1.50
0.00

h=

18

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

21

24

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

27

30

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

33

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

36

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

1 COULOMB'S THEORY
BACK
Active earth pressure
coefficient

Sin(+)

Ka =
Sin

0.989

Sin(-)

0.959

1+

0.687
1+

0.687
1.814
0.379
Active soil thrust

Active surcharge thrust

Horizontal active soil thrust

Ps =

0.5Kas

3372.263

lb/ft

Pq =

Sin
Sin(+)

KaqH

0.995
0.910

678.168

740.835

lb/ft

Phs =
=

Horizontal active surcharge

thrust

Phq =
=

Vertical active soil thrust

Pvs =
=

Vertical active surcharge

thrust

Pvq =

PsCos(- )
3235.059

lb/ft

PqCos(- )
710.693

lb/ft

PsSin(- )
952.130

lb/ft

PqSin(- )

209.168

Backfill slope
Angle of wall friction

p =
p =
=
p =
p =

0.000
90-p
90.000
0.000
0.000

Passive earth pressure

Kp =

lb/ft

FRONT
Inclination angle to vertical
Front face angle to horizontal

Sin(-)

Sin(+)
Sin(-)

Sin(-)
Sin(+)

0.771
0.959

0.166
0.910

Sin

coefficient

Sin(+)

1.000

1.000

1-

0.780
1-

Sin(+)
Sin(+)

Sin(+)
Sin(+)

0.469
1.000

0.469
1.000

0.780
0.281
2.770
Passive soil thrust

Pp =

0.5Kps

1558.027

lb/ft

2 Check Overturning:
Vertical distance to Phs

Yhs =
=

Vertical distance to Phq

Yhq =
=

Overturning moment

Weight of Gabion

ft

H/2-BSin
ft

Mo =

YhsPhs +

YhqPhq

14016.823

ft-lb / ft

Wg =

Xg =
=

Horizontal distance to Pvs

3.194

5.183

=
Horizontal distance to Wg

H/3-BSin

Xvs =

A g
6085.800

Ysin

5.097

B/Cos +

lb / ft

XCos
ft

(H/3-BSin)Tan

7.877
Horizontal distance to Pvq

Xvq =

B/Cos +

(H/2-BSin)Tan

8.086
Vertical distance to Pp

YPp =
=

Resisting moment

Mr =
=

Overturning factor of safety

SFo =

d/3
1.000

Wg Xg +
41769.145

Mr

Pvs Xvs + Pvq Xvq +

ft-lb / ft

PpYPp

Mo
2.980

2.000

O.K

WgCos +

PsSin +

PqSin -

PpSin

7456.983

lb/ft

Tan

7456.983

0.532

3964.948

3 Check Sliding

W =

Total Normal forces

Ff

Frictional force

Total Resisting Forces

Total Driving Forces at base

Fr =

Ff + CosPp

5514.440

Fd =

PsCos +

PqCos -

WgSin

1.741

1.500

0.5 B

( Mr

3166.609

SFs =

Siding factor of safety

Fr
Fd
O.K

4 Check the Eccentricity of Resultant Force

(Resultant is in middle one third)

Eccentricity

Mo)

W
=

3.750

3.722

-B/6

0.028

-1.250

O.K

+B/6

1.250

O.K

5 Check Bearing

W
B

(1

6e/B)

994.264

(1

0.023

Left

1016.810

psf

2000.000

O.K

Right

971.719

psf

2000.000

O.K

Applied bearing pressure

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.

Angle of surcharge,=
Angle of inclination of wall,=

2/3*
90+

Backfill soil parameter,=

c

30 Deg
0

Unit wt of soil,

20 kN/m3

LL surcharge,q

20 kN/m2

Friction coefficient,

0.5

Allowable soil bearing capacity

200 kN/m2