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

2
Q

W
Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base
Surface load

Q=

10,000 N/m

Gabions
Length

LG =

1m

Depth

DG =

1m

Unit Weight

17,000 N/m

Concrete Base
Length

LCB =

1.2 m

Depth

DCB =

0.5 m

Unit Weight

24,000 N/m

Friction angle on the base soil interface

25

Soil above the water table

Unit Weight

16,000 N/m

Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter

'=

30

Soil below the water table

Unit weight

20,000 N/m

Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter

'=

30

Active pressure coefficient

Ka = #NAME?

=
=
= 1 - sin[{p'- / ,180-+
##
1 + sin[{p'- / ,180-+

[Eqn. 1]

Values at soil surface

Depth coordinate

z0 =

0m

Pore water pressure

u=

0 N/m

Unit weight

16,000 N/m

Total Normal Stress (vertical)

v =

10,000 N/m

= Q [Eqn. 2]
##

Effective Normal Stress (vertical)

v' =

10,000 N/m

= v - u [Eqn. 3]
##

Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)

h ' = #NAME? N/m

= v 'Ka [Eqn. 4]
##

Total Normal Stress (horizontal)

h = #NAME? N/m

= h ' + u [Eqn. 5]
##

Values at 2m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate

z2 =

2m

Pore water pressure

u=

0 N/m

Unit weight

16,000 N/m

Total Normal Stress (vertical)

v =

42,000 N/m

= (z2) + Q [Eqn. 6]
##

Effective Normal Stress (vertical)

v' =

42,000 N/m

= v - u [Eqn. 7]
##

Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)

h ' = #NAME? N/m

= v 'Ka [Eqn. 8]
##

Total Normal Stress (horizontal)

h = #NAME? N/m

= h ' + u [Eqn. 9]
##

Values at 2.5m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate

z2.5 =

2.5 m

Pore water pressure

u=

5,000 N/m

Unit weight

20,000 N/m

Total Normal Stress (vertical)

v =

52,000 N/m

= (*z2.5 - z2+) + v [Eqn. 10]

##

Effective Normal Stress (vertical)

v' =

47,000 N/m

= v - u [Eqn. 11]
##

Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)

h ' = #NAME? N/m

= v 'Ka [Eqn. 12]

##

Total Normal Stress (horizontal)

= h ' + u [Eqn. 13]

 h = #NAME? N/m

= h ' + u [Eqn. 13]

##

0
0

-0.5
-1
-1.5

-2
-2.5
-3

Force is equal to area under the graph

F1 = #NAME? N/m

##
= hz2 [Eqn. 14]

F2 = #NAME? N/m

##
= 0.5( h - h)z2 [Eqn. 15]

F3 = #NAME? N/m

##
= h(z2.5 - z2) [Eqn. 16]

F4 = #NAME? N/m
Ha = #NAME? N/m

##
= 0.5( h - h)(z2.5 - z2) [Eqn. 17]
=(e127:e130) [Eqn. 18]
##

Lever need to work out moment acting from each area

L1 = #NAME? m
L2 = #NAME? m

(z2.5
##
==(z
+ z2
2.5 -- zz22) +
(z2.5
##
==(z
+ z22
2.5 -- zz22) +

L3 = #NAME? m

=
##
= z

L4 = #NAME? m

2.5 - z2
=
##
= z2.52- z2
3

[Eqn. 19]

[Eqn. 20]
3
[Eqn. 21]

[Eqn. 22]

Moment

M1 = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= F1L1 [Eqn. 23]
M2 = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= F2L2 [Eqn. 24]
M3 = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= F3L3 [Eqn. 25]
M4 = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= F4L4 [Eqn. 26]
Ma = #NAME? Nm/m ##
=(e140:e143) [Eqn. 27]
Kp = #NAME?

=
= 1
##
Ka

[Eqn. 28]

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/m

Unit weight

20,000 N/m

Total Normal Stress (vertical)

v =

10,000 N/m

= z *Eqn. 29+
##

Effective Normal Stress (vertical)

v' =

5,000 N/m

= v - u [Eqn. 30]
##

= v - u [Eqn. 30]
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)

h ' = #NAME? N/m

= v 'Kp [Eqn. 31]

##

Total Normal Stress (horizontal)

h = #NAME? N/m

= h ' + u [Eqn. 32]

##

Passive pressure force

Hp = #NAME? N/m

##
= 0.5 hz [Eqn. 33]

Passive moment

Mp = #NAME? Nm/m ##
Hpp z
== H
3

[Eqn. 34]

W
Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base
A
Consider sliding
Top Gabion
Length

LTG =

1m

Depth

DTG =

1m

Unit Weight

17,000 N/m

Area

A=

1 m

##
= LTGDTG [Eqn. 35]

Weight

WTG =

17000 N/m

= A *Eqn. 36+
##

Lever about point A

LA =

0.5 m

##
= LTG / 2 [Eqn. 37]

Moment about point A

MA =

8500 Nm/m ##
= WTGLA [Eqn. 38]

Bottom Gabion
Length

LBG =

1m

Depth

DBG =

1m

Unit Weight

17000 N/m

Area

A=

1 m

##
= LBGDBG [Eqn. 39]

Weight

= A *Eqn. 40+

WBG =

17000 N/m

= A *Eqn. 40+
##

Lever about point A

LA = #NAME? m

=
##
= LBG + 0.2 [Eqn. 41]
2

Moment about point A

MA = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= WBGLA [Eqn. 42]
Concrete Block
Length

LCB =

1.2 m

Depth

DCB =

0.5 m

Unit Weight

24000 N/m

A=

0.6 m

Area

##
= LCBDCB [Eqn. 43]

Weight

WCB =

14400 N/m

= A *Eqn. 44+
##

Lever about point A

LA = #NAME? m

=
##
= LCB
2

[Eqn. 45]

Moment about point A

MA = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= WCBLA [Eqn. 46]
Soil
Length

LS =

0.2 m

DS =

1m

##
= LCB - LBG [Eqn. 47]

Depth

Unit Weight

16,000 N/m

A=

0.2 m

Area

##
= LSDS [Eqn. 48]

Weight

WS =

3200 N/m

= A *Eqn. 49+
##

Lever about point A

LA = #NAME? m

=
##
= LS
2

[Eqn. 50]

Moment about point A

MA = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= WSLA [Eqn. 51]
Total Weight

WTotal =

51600 N/m

##
= WS + WCB + WBG + WTG [Eqn. 52]

Total Moment about point A

MA = #NAME? Nm/m ##
= MA + MA + MA + MA [Eqn. 53]

(Effective) Normal reaction

N' =

45600 N/m

##
= WTotal - (LCBu) [Eqn. 54]

Maximum sliding resistance

T = #NAME? N/m

##
= N'

tan

180

[Eqn. 55]

= N'

tan

[Eqn. 55]

180
Total load that must resist sliding

H = #NAME? N/m

##
= Ha - Hp [Eqn. 56]

#NAME? OK for sliding

NlN = #NAME? Nm/m ##

= MA + Ma - Mp [Eqn. 57]
LN = #NAME? m
l1 = #NAME? m

=
##
[Eqn. 58]
= NlN
WTotal
=
##
= NlN - [LCB / 2]u [Eqn. 59]

N'
For rectangular distribution of stress

e = #NAME? m
e/B = #NAME?

##
= l 1 - LCB [Eqn. 60]
2
=
##
= l 1 - [LCB / 2] [Eqn. 61]
LCB

Rectangular distribution of stress on the ground

qrect = #NAME? N/m

=
##
=

N'
LCB - [2e]

[Eqn. 62]

Table of compatible units

Length

Area

Time

Angle

Mass

Velocity

Acceleration Force

LDForce

Fundamental m

kg

m/s

m/s

kg.m/s

kg/s

SI

kg

m/s

m/s

N/m

SI (mm)

mm

mm

mm/s

mm/s

N/mm

US Unit (ft)

ft

ft

slug

ft/s

ft/s

lbf

lbf.ft

US Unit (in)

in

in

lbf.s/in

in/s

in/s

lbf

lbf.in

z(m)
0

h
#NAME?

-2
-2.5

#NAME?
#NAME?

Moment

Work

Energy

Power

Density

Stress

Unit Weight

Nm/m

kg.m/s.m

kg.m/s.m

kg.m/s

kg/m

kg/m.s

N/m

Nm/m

kg/m

N/m

N/m

N.mm/mm

mJ

mJ

mW

t/mm

MPa

N/mm

lbf.ft/ft

ft.lb

ft.lb

ft.lb/s

slug/ft

lbf/ft

lbf/ft

lbf.in/in

in.lbf

in.lbf

in.lbf/s

lbf.s/in

psi

lbf/in