Shahrood University of Technology

Department of Geotechnical Engineering

Advanced Foundation Engineering

Lateral earth pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
1
 Introduction
Vertical or near-vertical slopes of soil are supported by retaining walls,
cantilever sheet pile walls, sheet-pile bulkheads, braced cuts, and other,
similar structures. The proper design of those structures requires an
estimation of lateral earth pressure, which is a function of several
factors, such as (a) the type and amount of wall movement, (b) the
shear strength parameters of the soil, (c) the unit weight of the soil, and
(d) the drainage conditions in the backfill.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 2

 Introduction

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 3

Lateral Earth Pressure at Rest

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 4

Lateral Earth Pressure at Rest

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 5

Rankine Active Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 6

Rankine Active Earth Pressure

The depth zc is usually referred to as the depth of tensile

crack

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 7

Rankine Active Earth Pressure
before the tensile crack occurs is:

After the tensile crack appears, the force per unit length on the wall will be caused
only by the pressure distribution between depths Z=Zc and Z=H

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 8

A Generalized Case for Rankine Active Pressure—Granular
Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 9

A Generalized Case for Rankine Active Pressure—Granular
Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 10

Granular Backfill with Vertical Back Face of Wall

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 11

Rankine Active Pressure with Vertical Wall Backface
and Inclined c’–’ Soil Backfill

For this case, the active pressure is inclined at an angle 

with the horizontal.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 12

Coulomb’s Active Earth Pressure
In 1776, Coulomb proposed a theory for calculating the lateral earth pressure on a
retaining wall with granular soil backfill. This theory takes wall friction into consideration.

To apply Coulomb’s active earth pressure theory, let us consider a retaining wall with its
back face inclined at an angle  with the horizontal. The backfill is a granular soil that
slopes at an angle  with the horizontal. Also, let ’ be the angle of friction between the
soil and the wall (i.e., the angle of wall friction).

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 13

Coulomb’s Active Earth Pressure
The forces acting on this wedge (per unit length at right angles to the cross are as follows:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 14

Coulomb’s Active Earth Pressure
Because the magnitude of W, as well as the directions of all three forces, are known, the
value of Pa can now be determined. Similarly, the active forces of other trial wedges, can
be determined. The maximum value of Pa thus determined is Coulomb’s active force.
Which may be expressed as:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 15

Coulomb’s Active Earth Pressure
Note that the line of action of the resultant force (Pa) will act at a distance H/3 above the
base of the wall and will be inclined at an angle ’ to the normal drawn to the back of
the wall.
In the actual design of retaining walls, the value of the wall friction angle ’ is assumed
to be between ’/2 and 2/3*’.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 16

Coulomb’s Active Earth Pressure
If a uniform surcharge of intensity q is located above the backfill:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 17

Lateral Earth Pressure Due to Surcharge
In several instances, the theory of elasticity is used to determine the lateral earth pressure
on unyielding retaining structures caused by various types of surcharge loading, such as
line loading and strip loading

According to the theory of elasticity, the stress at

any depth, z, on a retaining structure caused by a
line load of intensity q/)unit length( may be given as:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 18

Lateral Earth Pressure Due to Surcharge
However, because soil is not a perfectly elastic medium, some deviations from may be
expected. The modified forms of this equation generally accepted for use with soils are as
follows:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 19

Lateral Earth Pressure Due to Surcharge
a strip load with an intensity of q/unit area located at a distance b’ from a wall of height H.
Based on the theory of elasticity, the horizontal stress, , at any depth z on a retaining
structure is:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 20

Lateral Earth Pressure Due to Surcharge

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 21

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill
Coulomb’s active earth pressure theory can be extended to take into account
the forces caused by an earthquake.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 22

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill
the relation for the active force per unit length of the wall (Pae) can be
determined as:

The equation is usually referred to as the Mononobe–Okabe solution.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 23

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 24

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 25

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill
the resultant earth pressure in this situation, does not act at a distance of H/3
from the bottom of the wall. The following procedure may be used to obtain
the location of the resultant force Pae:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 26

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Conditions—Granular
Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 27

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)
Shukla et al. (2009) developed a procedure for estimation of Pae for a
retaining wall with a vertical back face and horizontal backfill with a c’–’ soil
The following assumptions have been made in the analysis:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 28

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 29

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)
According to this analysis, the critical wedge angle =c for maximum value of
Pae can be given as:

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 30

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 31

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 32

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 33

Active Earth Pressure for Earthquake Condition (Vertical
Backface of Wall and c’– ’ Backfill)

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 34

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 35

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 36

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 37

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure

The approximate magnitudes of the wall movements, x, required

to develop failure under passive conditions are as follows:

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Rankine Passive Earth Pressure—Vertical Backface and
Inclined Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 39

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure—Vertical Backface and
Inclined Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 40

Rankine Passive Earth Pressure—Vertical Backface and
Inclined Backfill

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 41

Coulomb’s Passive Earth Pressure

Coulomb (1776) also presented an analysis for determining the passive earth
pressure (i.e., when the wall moves into the soil mass)

for walls possessing friction (’=angle of wall friction) and retaining a granular
backfill material.

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Coulomb’s Passive Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 43

Coulomb’s Passive Earth Pressure

This Figure shows the force triangle at equilibrium for the trial
wedge ABC1. From this force triangle, the value of Pp can be
determined, because the direction of all three forces
and the magnitude of one force are known.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 44

Coulomb’s Passive Earth Pressure

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 45

Comments on the Failure Surface Assumption for Coulomb’s
Pressure Calculations
Coulomb’s pressure calculation methods for active and passive pressure have been
discussed. The fundamental assumption in these analyses is the acceptance of plane failure
surface.
However, for walls with friction, this assumption does not hold in practice. The nature of actual
failure surface in the soil mass for active and passive pressure is shown in Figure 12.22a and
b, respectively (for a vertical wall with a horizontal backfill).

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 46

Comments on the Failure Surface Assumption for Coulomb’s
Pressure Calculations

Although the actual failure surface in soil for the case of active pressure is
somewhat different from that assumed in the calculation of the Coulomb
pressure, the results are not greatly different.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 47

Comments on the Failure Surface Assumption for Coulomb’s
Pressure Calculations

However, in the case of passive pressure, as the value of ’ increases,

Coulomb’s method of calculation gives increasingly erroneous values of Pp.
This factor of error could lead to an unsafe condition because the values of Pp
would become higher than the soil resistance.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 48

Passive Pressure under Earthquake Conditions

The relationship for passive earth pressure on a retaining wall with a granular
backfill and under earthquake conditions was evaluated by Subba Rao and
Choudhury (2005) by the method of limit equilibrium using the pseudo-static
approach.

The passive pressure Ppe will be

inclined at an angle ’ to
the back face of the wall and will
act at a distance of H/3 above the
bottom of the wall.

Mohsen Keramati, Ph.D. , Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, 49

Passive Pressure under Earthquake Conditions

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