Earth Pressures

Analysis and Design

of Earth Retaining Structures
Distribution of vertical and lateral earth
pressures must be estimated
Magnitude of earth pressure depends on
state of strain in the soil behind the
structure

Earth Pressure Theory

The following 3 states are defined:

- At rest state: elastic equilibrium with no lateral
strain
- Active state: plastic equilibrium with lateral
expansion
- Passive state: plastic equilibrium with lateral
compression

At-rest State
Ground
level

sv

s h

Lateral effective stress, sh' = Ko sv'

sv' = sv u
Ko = coefficient of earth pressure at rest

Value of Ko
For normally consolidated soils,
Ko = 1 sinf'

For overconsolidated soils,

Ko = (1 sinf' ) (OCR)0.5
From elastic theory,
Ko =

Rankines Earth Pressure Theory

In Rankines method, it is assumed that there is no
friction or adhesion between soil and the back of the
retaining structure. Therefore, the normal stress acting
on the retaining structure will be a principal stress. If the
back of the retaining structure is vertical and the soil
surface horizontal, the vertical and horizontal stresses
throughout the retained soil mass will be principal
stresses.
The horizontal stress can be calculated from the MohrCoulomb failure criterion.

Active Earth Pressure: Granular Soil

Initially, no movement of boundary AB

sv z

s h

At-rest state
sv = z, assuming u = 0
sh = Ko sv = Ko z

Boundary AB moves away from element,

B

No change in sv

Decrease in sh until it reaches a

minimum value, sha , at failure

Active Earth Pressure: Rankines Theory

Granular Soil (c' = 0)

Active state

sha

s'
At-rest state

Decreasing sh

ha ' K a v '
K a coefficien t of active earth pressure

1 sin f '
tan 2 (45 f ' / 2)
1 sin f '

Passive Earth Pressure: Granular Soil

A

sv z

s h

Boundary AB moves towards element,

No change in sv

Increase in sh until it reaches a

maximum value, shp , at failure

Passive Earth Pressure: Rankines Theory

Granular Soil

c' = 0

Passive state

At-rest state

sv

s
shp

increasing sh

Passive Earth Pressure: Rankines Theory

Granular Soil (c' = 0)
hp ' K p v '
1 sin f '
K p coefficien t of passive earth pressure
tan 2 (45 f ' / 2)
1 sin f '

Earth Pressure Theory:

Orientation of Failure Plane
In the active case, the
failure plane is inclined at an
angle of (45o + f'/2) to the
horizontal.
In the passive case, the
failure plane is inclined at an
angle of (45o - f'/2) to the
horizontal.

Earth Pressure Theory:

Orientation of Failure Plane
In the active case, the failure plane is inclined at an angle of (45o +
f'/2) to the horizontal.
In the passive case, the failure plane is inclined at an angle of (45o f'/2) to the horizontal.

Mobilisation of Earth Pressure with Movement

Significantly higher movement is required to mobilise full passive pressure

than to mobilise active pressure

Kp

Ko
Ka
Away
from soil

Towards
soil

Earth Pressure: c' f' soil

Rankine-Bell Equations

c' s' tan f'

sha'

sv'

Active case:

ha ' K a v ' 2c' K a

Passive case:

hp ' K p v ' 2c' K p

shp'

s'

Earth Pressure: c' f' soil

Rankine-Bell Equations

Active case
When c is greater than zero, sha'
is zero at a specific depth, zo.
Within a depth zo, active earth
pressure is negative.

2c' K a

zo

K a v ' 2c' K a

Earth Pressure Distribution

Effect of
Groundwater level

Surcharge
Stratified soil
Sloping ground

Influence of Sloping Ground

Ka

Kp

cos - cos 2 - cos 2 f '

cos cos 2 - cos 2 f '
cos cos 2 - cos 2 f '
cos cos 2 - cos 2 f '

Active pressure, pa = Ka sv' cos

Where sv' = Hcos
Active force, FA =

1
Ka H2 cos
2

Passive pressure, pp = Kp sv' cos

1
Passive force, FP = Kp H2 cos
2

FA
H

H
H
3