Purpose of calculation:

Calculate whether the wall will slide forward? Calculate the bearing pressure beneath the base?
Considering friction acting on the vertical faces, would stability improve?
Calculation Reference
Geotechnics

Calculation Validation
Reproduction of a sample calculation from a published calculation reference

Calculation Units SI2

Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base

Surface load
Q= 10,000 N/m²

Gabions
Length
LG = 1m
Depth
DG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17,000 N/m³

Concrete Base
Length
LCB = 1.2 m
Depth
DCB = 0.5 m
Unit Weight
γ= 24,000 N/m³
Friction angle on the base soil interface
δ= 25 °

Soil above the water table

Unit Weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter
φ'= 30 °

Soil below the water table

Unit weight
 γ= 20,000 N/m³
Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter
φ'= 30 °

Active pressure coefficient

Ka = #ADDIN? ###

Values at soil surface

Depth coordinate
z0 = 0m
Pore water pressure
u= 0 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = 10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = 10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###

Values at 2m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate
z2 = 2m
Pore water pressure
u= 0 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = 42,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = 42,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###

Values at 2.5m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate
z2.5 = 2.5 m
Pore water pressure
u= 5,000 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 20,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = 52,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = 47,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###

0
#ADDIN? #ADDIN? #ADDIN?

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5

-3

Force is equal to area under the graph

F1 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
F2 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
F3 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
F4 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
Ha = #ADDIN? N/m ###

Lever need to work out moment acting from each area

L1 = #ADDIN? m ###
L2 = #ADDIN? m ###
L3 = #ADDIN? m ###
L4 = #ADDIN? m ###

Moment
M1 = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###
M2 = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###
M3 = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###
M4 = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###
Ma = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

Kp = #ADDIN? ###

Value at 0.5m below the soil surface on the passive side

Depth coordinate
z= 0.5 m
Pore water pressure
u= 5,000 N/m²
Unit weight
 γ= 20,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = 10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = 5,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###

Passive pressure force

Hp = #ADDIN? N/m ###
Passive moment
Mp = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base
A

Consider sliding
Top Gabion
Length
LTG = 1m
Depth
DTG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17,000 N/m³
Area
A= 1 m² ###
Weight
WTG = 17000 N/m ###
Lever about point A
LA = 0.5 m ###
Moment about point A
MA = 8500 Nm/m ###

Bottom Gabion
Length
LBG = 1m
Depth
DBG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17000 N/m³
Area
A= 1 m² ###
Weight
WBG = 17000 N/m ###
Lever about point A
LA = #ADDIN? m ###

Moment about point A

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

Concrete Block
Length
LCB = 1.2 m
Depth
DCB = 0.5 m
Unit Weight
γ= 24000 N/m³
Area
A= 0.6 m² ###
Weight
WCB = 14400 N/m ###
Lever about point A
LA = #ADDIN? m ###

Moment about point A

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

Soil
Length
LS = 0.2 m ###
Depth
DS = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Area
A= 0.2 m² ###
Weight
WS = 3200 N/m ###
Lever about point A
LA = #ADDIN? m ###

Moment about point A

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

Total Weight
WTotal = 51600 N/m ###
Total Moment about point A
MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

(Effective) Normal reaction

N' = 45600 N/m ###
Maximum sliding resistance
T = #ADDIN? N/m ###

Total load that must resist sliding

H = #ADDIN? N/m ###

#ADDIN? OK for sliding

NlN = #ADDIN? Nm/m ###

LN = #ADDIN? m ###

l1 = #ADDIN? m ###

For rectangular distribution of stress

e = #ADDIN? m ###

e/B = #ADDIN? ###

Rectangular distribution of stress on the ground

qrect = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
Table of compatible units
Length Area Time Angle Mass Velocity Acceleration Force LDForce
Fundamental m m² s ° kg m/s m/s² kg.m/s² kg/s²
SI m m² s ° kg m/s m/s² N N/m
SI (mm) mm mm² s ° t mm/s mm/s² N N/mm
US Unit (ft) ft ft² s ° slug ft/s ft/s² lbf lbf.ft
US Unit (in) in in² s ° lbf.s²/in in/s in/s² lbf lbf.in
z(m) σh
0 #ADDIN?
-2 #ADDIN?
-2.5 #ADDIN?
Moment Work Energy Power Density Stress Unit Weight
Nm/m kg.m/s².m kg.m/s².m kg.m²/s³ kg/m³ kg/m.s² N/m³
Nm/m J J W kg/m³ N/m² N/m³
N.mm/mm mJ mJ mW t/mm³ MPa N/mm³
lbf.ft/ft ft.lb ft.lb ft.lb/s slug/ft³ lbf/ft² lbf/ft³
lbf.in/in in.lbf in.lbf in.lbf/s lbf.s²/in⁴ psi lbf/in³
x along length

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