Lateral Earth Pressures 1

Total & effective stress

analysis

Hydrostatic pressure & lateral

thrust

wz
Retaining

wz

Horizontal pressure,

wz

wall

wz

h ' wz
Horizontal thrust,

wz

Resultant thrust,
Pw 1/2 w H 2
h H / 3

wH

Pw 1/2 w H 2
Line of action passes the
centre of area of the
pressure diagram,
h 1/3H

Geostatic conditions

Ground level
Zw

Water table

Soil unit weight

Z
Hw

Pore pressue u

Earth pressures at rest

Stress state exists below the MohrCoulomb failure envelope still in
elastic equilibrium.
Under natural conditions of deposition
there is a negligible amount of
horizontal strain, although some lateral
contraction may take place upon
unloading.
Soil is said to be in an at rest condition.

Analysis
Assume no shear stresses on the vertical or horizontal planes
Vertical stress : z z total stress
Pore water pressure : u w H w w ( z z w )
Effective vertical stress : z ' z u
Horizontal stress - measured - often represente d in terms of
vertical stress & the coefficient of lateral earth pressure
at rest, K o

Contd

h K o z
or in terms of effective stress :
h' K o ' z '
but ,
h' h - u

Typical values of Ko
Type of soil

Ko

Loose sand

0.45 0.6

Dense sand

0.3 0.5

Normally
consolidated clay

0.5 0.7

Over-consolidated
clay

1.0 4.0

Compacted clay

0.7 2.0

Rankines theory of granular

earth pressure
With lateral yielding, h will either
increase or decrease, with
corresponding change in the diameter
of the Mohr circle.
With lateral expansion, as state of
plastic equilibrium or failure is reached
at the minimum value of h.
With lateral compression, the limit
state occurs at a maximum value of h.

Walls in a cohesionless soil

wz

K a w z
or
K p w z

K a w z

K p w z

Active & passive earth

pressures
If the wall moves forward slightly, the
soil is able to expand and there will
be an immediate reduction the
lateral pressure.
If the wall is pushed slightly into the
soil, then the soil will tend to be
compressed and there will be an
increase in the lateral pressure.

Mohr - Coulomb

'
Active earth
pressure,
K aZ

Vertical
pressure,

Passive earth
pressure,
K p Z

Contd
It can be seen from the Mohr
Coulomb diagram that when
considering active pressure the
vertical pressure due to the soil
weight, is a major principal stress.
When considering passive pressure
the vertical pressure due to the soil
weight, is a minor principal stress.

Derivation of coefficients
Active conditions
h min ' / z ' = Ka ~ the coefficient of active earth pressure

A
h min

B
z

Frictional soil
K a h min ' / z ' =

OA
OB

Divide top and bottom by OC,

OC - AC
OC + CB

OC CD
OC + CB

= 1 - (CD/OC)
1 + (CD/OC)
CD/OC = Sin
Therefore Ka = 1 - Sin
1 + Sin

Passive conditions
h max ' / z ' = Kp ~ the coefficient of passive earth pressure

h max

Frictional soil
K p h max ' / z '

OB
OA

Divide top and bottom by OC,

OC + CB
OC - AC

OC + CD
OC - CD

= 1 + (CD/OC)
1 - (CD/OC)
CD/OC = Sin
Therefore Kp = 1 + Sin
1 - Sin

Bells solution for frictional

cohesive soils
The ratio h min ' / z ' is reduced by the effect of the cohesion

C
0

h min

ACTIVE
Drained conditions, ha = Ka z 2 c Ka
Un-drained conditions, ha = z 2c (total stress)

Frictional cohesive soils

The ratio

h max ' / z '

is increased by the effect of the cohesion

C
0

h max

PASSVE
Drained conditions, hp = Kp z + 2 c Kp
Un-drained conditions, hp = z + 2c (total stress)

Walls in frictional cohesive

soils
Wall
at
rest
Zw

z z
h K o z

u w (z - z w )
h' K o ' z '
h h' u

Contd
Wall
moves

Horizontal pressures increase, h

Horizontal pressures reduce, h

If wall moves far enough the

pressure increases to the
maximum value as the soil
fails plastically in shear.

If the wall moves far enough

the pressures reduce to the
minimum value as the soil
fails plastically in shear.

PASSIVE STATE

ACTIVE STATE

Contd
Wall
moves

Passive pressues

Active pressues

hp ' K p ' z '2c' ( K p ' ) 0.5

h a ' K a ' z ' 2c' ( K a ' )0.5

Where,
K p ' coefficient of passive pressure

Where ,
K a ' coefficient of active pressure

K p ' 1 sin ' 1 sin '

K a ' 1 sin ' 1 sin '

K p ' 1/ Ka '

Tension cracks in cohesive

soils
For un - drained conditions in cohesive soils :
ha z - 2c

hp z 2c
Near the surface, where z 2c, the active pressure
will have a tension value and drying will cause openning
of tension cracks from the surface down to where z 2c.

Contd

At the surface, z 0 & ha -2c

Tension zone extends to z z0

ha 0
z - 2c 0
z0 - 2c 0
z0 2c/

Drained conditions
In drained conditions , where ' 0, the following expression
may be used :

ha ' 0
K a ' z0 - 2c' (K a ' )0.5 0
z0 2c' ( K a ' ) 0.5 / K a '
z0 2c' / ( K a ' ) 0.5

Active thrust in an un-drained

cohesive soil, PA
2c

z 0 2c /

PA 1 / 2 (H - z0 )2

( H z0 ) / 3

(H - z0 )

Passive thrust in an un-drained

cohesive soil, PP
2c

PP P1 P2 2cH 1 / 2H 2
h ( P1 x H/2 P2 x H/3)/(P1 P2 )
P1

H
PP

H/2
P2

H/3

h-

Example 1- Retaining wall with

cohesionless soil
Soil data :
Smooth
back

3m

18kN/m
Phreatic
surface

4m

sat 20kN/m 3
C ' 0kN/m 2
' 32

Problem
Determine the distribution of the
horizontal stresses on the wall & the
magnitude & position of the resultant
horizontal thrust on the wall
assuming that no seepage takes
place.

Solution

K a ' 1 sin ' / 1 sin ' 1 - sin32/1 sin32 0.3073

At 3m level :
z z 18 x 3 54kPa
u 0kPa
z ' 54 0 54kPa

h ' K a ' z ' 0.3073 x 54 16.59kPa

h h ' u 16.59 0 16.59kPa

Contd

At 7m level :

z 54 20 x 4 134kPa
u w (z - z w ) 9.81 x (7 - 3) 39.24kPa
z ' 134 39.24 94.76kPa
h ' K a ' z ' 0.3073 x 94.76 29.12kPa
h h ' u 29.12 39.24 68.36kPa

Stress distribution diagram

3m

Phreatic
surface

P1
16.59

1m
P2

4m

P3
2m

Pw
1.33m

29.12
Horizontal
Effective
stress

39.24
Pore
pressure

Magnitude & position of

thrust
Resultant horizontal force,Ph P1 P2 P3 Pw
Sum of areas of pressuredisribution diagram
(0.5 x 16.59 x 3) (16.59x 4)
(0.5 x(29.12-16.59)x 4) (0.5 x 39.24 x 4)
24.9 66.4 25.1 78.5
194.8kN / m
Line of action - moments about O :
Phh - P1 x 5 P2 x 2 P3 x 1.33 Pw x 1.33
h - (24.9 x 5 66.4 x 2 25.1 x 1.33 78.5 x 1.33)/194.
8
2.03m

Retaining wall with surcharge

& cohesionless soil
q

K a (1 sin ' ) /(1 sin ' )

K p (1 sin ' ) /(1 sin ' )

Smooth
back

Due to soil with surcharge :

z ' z q - u

P1

Z
PA

Active pressure, ha ' K a (z q - u )

Passive pressure, hp ' K p (z q - u )
Due to Surcharge :

Z/2
P2

Z/3

Active pressure, ha ' K a q

Passive pressure, hp ' K p q

Example 2 Retaining wall

with cohesive soil
2c

z 0 2c /

Smooth
back

Soil data :

18kN/m 3
C 32kN/m 2
0

H=8m

PA 1 / 2 (H - z0 )2

( H z0 ) / 3

(H - z0 )

Problem
The retaining wall shown in the
diagram retains a mass of soil with
the parameters given to a depth of
8m.
Estimate the active thrust acting on
the retaining wall for a unit length.

Solution
Depthof tension zone, z0 2c /
z0 2 x 32/18 3.56m
PA 1/2 (H - z0 ) 2
PA 1/2 x 18(8- 3.56)2 177.4kN / m
PA 177.4kN for a unit length
h 1/ 3(H z 0)
h 1/ 3(8 3.56) 1.48m

Example 3 - Retaining wall

with a surcharge & cohesive
soil
q

Smooth
back

Soil data :

18.5kN/m 3
H=8m

C 30kN/m 2
0

Problem
The retaining wall shown in the
diagram has a smooth vertical back
and retains soil with the properties
given to a depth of 8m.
Determine the resultant active thrust
per unit length for:
A) No surcharge
B) Surcharge of 25kPa
C) Surcharge of 75kPa

Solution
2c

A) z0 2c/ 2 x 30/18.5 3.24m

PA 1/ 2 (H z 0)2

z 0 2c /

1/ 2 x 18.5(8- 3.24)2
209.6kN / m
209.6kN for a unit length

PA 1 / 2 (H - z0 )2

( H z0 ) / 3

(H - z0 )

Contd
B) Surcharge 25kPa
At base of crack ha 0

q-2c

z 0 ( 2c q ) /

PA 1 / 2 (H - z0 )2

( H z0 ) / 3

(H - z0 )

z0 q - 2c 0
z0 (2c - q)/
(2 x 30 - 25)/18.51.89m(positive)
At surface :
ha 18.5 x 0 25 - 2 x 30 -35kPa
At 8m depth :
ha 18.5 x 8 25 - 2 x 30 113kPa
PA 1/ 2 x 113 x (8 -1.89) 345.2kN/m
PA 345.2kN for a unit length

Contd
C) Surcharge 75kPa
q-2c

z0

At base of crack ha 0

PA

z q - 2c

z0 q - 2c 0
z0 (2c - q)/
(2 x 30 - 75)/18.5 -0.81m(negative)
At surface :
ha 18.5 x 0 75 - 2 x 30 15kPa
At 8m depth :
ha 18.5 x 8 75 - 2 x 30 163kPa
PA 1/2 x 8 x (15 163) 712kN/m
PA 712kN for unit length