NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROURKELA

MID - TERM EXAMINATION, 2019

SESSION: 2018 – 2019 (Spring)
M. Tech. 2nd Semester

Subject code: CE 6134 Subject Name: Earth Retaining Structures Dept. Code: CE
No. of pages: 02 Full Marks: 30 Duration: 2 Hours

Figures at the right hand margin indicate marks.

Q. No. Particulars Marks

Answer all Questions

1 Discuss about the active earth pressure in cohesive soil using Rankine’s 8
theory with neat diagrams.

2 Derive the expression for theoretical depth, D of a sheet pile wall 7

penetrating into sand and also find out the maximum bending moment.

3 A retaining wall has a vertical back and is 8.5 m high. The soil is sandy 5
loam of unit weight 18.1 kN/m3. It has a cohesion of 15 kN/m2 and φ =
30°. Neglecting wall friction, determine the passive thrust on the wall. The
upper surface of the fill is inclined at an angle of 10ο with respect to the
horizontal.

4 For a retaining wall β =10°; α = 85°; H = 4 m; unit weight of soil, γ = 15 5

kN/m3; soil friction angle, φ= 30°; and δ =15°. Estimate the active force,
Pa, per unit length of the wall using Coulomb’s theory. Also, state the
direction and location of the resultant force, Pa.

5 A cantilever sheet pile wall penetrating a clay layer (Figure 1). Sand 5

Layer: L1 = 2 m, L2 = 3 m, γ = 15.9 kN/m3, γsat = 19.33 kN/m3, and φ’=

32°; Clay Layer: c’= 47 kN/m2, γsat = 20.4 kN/m3, and φ’= 0°.
a. The theoretical and actual depth of penetration. Use Dactual = 1.5Dtheory

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b. The minimum size of sheet pile section necessary. Use σall = 172.5
MN/m2.

Figure 1

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