CVL 600 – FOUNDATION ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT – 4
DUE DATE: Week of 26th November 2018 during Tutorial Class

1. A gravity concrete retaining wall is shown below. Consider active earth pressure on the
right and passive earth pressure on the left. Answer the following questions:

A. Using Rankin’s method, show the stress distribution of earth pressure, water pressure and
cohesion of soil with their corresponding values.
B. Find the depth of tensile crack.
C. One way of eliminating the tensile crack is to apply surcharge. Find minimum surcharge
stress to avoid any tensile crack.
D. With the effect of surcharge from part D, using Rankin’s methods to find the F.S against
overturning (ignore self-weight of wall.)
E. Redo part E using Coluomb’s method (assume the friction angle between wall and soil is
2⁄ of soil friction angle).
3
 CVL 600 – FOUNDATION ENGINEERING
ASSIGNMENT – 4
DUE DATE: Week of 26th November 2018 during Tutorial Class

2. Wall dimensions:
H = 6.5 m
x1 = 0.3 m
x2 = 0.6 m
x3 = 0.8 m

x4 =1 m x5
= 0.8 m D
=1.5 m
a=0°

Soil properties: ᵧ1 =18.08 kN/m3

φ’1 =36°

ᵧ2 = 19.65 kN/m3
φ’2 =15°

c’2 = 20 kN/m2
a) Does the cantilever retaining wall satisfies the criteria for the factor of safety with respect to
overturning (F.Smin = 2), sliding (F.Smin =1.5), and bearing capacity failure (F.Smin = 3)
b) If does not satisfies the criteria in part-a, how can you meet the criteria factor of safety? Show your
detail calculations to support your idea.
 CVL 600 – FOUNDATION ENGINEERING
ASSIGNMENT – 4
DUE DATE: Week of 26th November 2018 during Tutorial Class

3. See to Figure below, for which L1 = 2.6 m, L2 = 4.0 m, γ = 16.0 kN/m3, γsat = 17.0 kN/m3, and

φ = 32°, and c’ = 27 kN/m2.

a. What is the theoretical depth of embedment, D?

b. Increase D by 50%. What length of sheet piles is needed?

c. Determine the theoretical maximum moment in the sheet pile.