NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS

PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER

1. ‘There will exist a ‘tensile’ zone near the surface of a cohesive fill.’ Justify the statement.
2. What are the stability considerations for gravity retaining walls ?
3. Distinguish between ‘active’ and ‘passive’ earth pressure.
4. Differentiate critically between Rankine and Coulomb theories of earth pressure.
5. Explain (i) active, (ii) passive and (iii) at rest conditions in earth pressure against a retaining wall.
6. With the aid of Mohr’s circle diagram explain what is means by active and passive Rankine states
in a cohesionless soil with a horizontal surface. Hence obtain an expression for the intensity of
active earth pressure behind a vertical wall.
7. Describe Culmann’s graphical method of finding earth pressure. Explain how point load will
affect earth pressure in active and passive states.
8. A retaining wall, 6 m high, retains dry sand with an angle of friction of 30° and unit weight of

γ1. Determine the earth pressure at rest. If the water table rises to the top of the wall,
determine the increase in the thrust on the wall. Assume the submerged unit weight of sand as

γ1-0.5.
9. What are the limiting values of the lateral earth pressure at a depth of 3metres in a uniform

γ1.and a friction angle of 35°? The ground surface is level.

sand fill with a unit weight of

10. A gravity retaining wall retains 12 m of a backfill, γ1 kN/m3 φ = 25° with a uniform horizontal
surface. Assume the wall interface to be vertical, determine the magnitude and point of
application of the total active pressure. If the water table is a height of 6 m, how far do the
magnitude and the point of application of active pressure changed?
11. A wall, 5.4 m high, retains sand. In the loose state the sand has void ratio of 0.63 and φ = 27°,
while in the dense state, the corresponding values of void ratio and φ are 0.36 and 45°
respectively. Compare the ratio of active and passive earth pressure in the two cases, assuming
G = 2.64.

12. A smooth backed vertical wall is 6.3 m high and retains a soil with a bulk unit weight of γ1.
kN/m3 and φ = 18°. The top of the soil is level with the top of the wall and is horizontal. If the
soil surface carries a uniformly distributed load of 4.5 kN/m2, determine the total active thrust
on the wall per metre of the wall and its point of application.
13. A vertical wall with a smooth face is 7.2 m high and retains soil with a uniform surcharge angle
of 9°. If the angle of internal friction of soil is 27°, compute the active earth pressure and passive

earth resistance assuming γ1. kN/m3

14. The Rankine formula of active earth pressure for a vertical wall and a level fill is much better
known than the general form and sometimes it is used even when it does not apply. Determine
the percentage error introduced by assuming a level fill when the angle of surcharge actually
equals 20°. Assume a friction angle of 35° and the wall vertical. Comment of the use of the
erroneous result.
NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS
PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER
15. A retaining wall 9 m high retains a cohesionless soil, with an angle of internal friction 33°. The

surface is level with the top of the wall. The unit weight of the top 3 m of the fill is γ1.and that
of the rest is γ1+3.. Find the magnitude and point of application of the resultant active thrust.
16. Excavation was being carried out for a foundation is plastic clay with a unit weight of

γ1+2.kN/m3. Failure occurred when a depth of 8.10 m was reached. What is the value of
cohesion if φ= 0° ?

17. A sandy loam backfill has a cohesion of C1 kN/m2 and φ = 20°. The unit weight is γ1.kN/m3.
What is the depth of the tension cracks ?
18. A retaining wall with a smooth vertical back retains a purely cohesive fill. Height of wall is 12 m.

Unit weight of fill is γ1. kN/m3. Cohesion is 1 N/cm2. What is the total active Rankine thrust on
the wall? At what depth is the intensity of pressure zero and where does the resultant thrust
act?

19. A smooth vertical wall 5 m high retains a soil with C1, φ = 30°, and γ1.kN/m3. Show the
Rankine passive pressure distribution and determine the magnitude and point of application of
the passive resistance.

20. A retaining wall 9 m high retains granular fill weighing γ1. kN/m3 with level surface. The active
thrust on the wall is 180 kN per metre length of the wall. The height of the wall is to be
increased and to keep the force on the wall within allowable limits, the backfill in the top-half of
the depth is removed and replaced by cinders. If cinders are used as backfill even in the
additional height, what additional height may be allowed if the thrust on the wall is to be limited
to its initial value? The unit weight of the cinders is 9 kN/m3. Assume the friction angle for
cinders the same as that for the soil.

21. A gravity retaining wall retains 12 m of a backfill. γ1.kN/m3, φ = 30° with a uniform horizontal
backfill. Assuming the wall interface to be vertical, determine the magnitude of active and
passive earth pressure. Assume the angle of wall friction to be 20°. Determine the point of
action also.
22. A retaining wall is battered away from the fill from bottom to top at an angle of 15° with the
vertical. Height of the wall is 6 m. The fill slopes upwards at an angle 15° away from the rest of
the wall. The friction angle is 30° and wall friction angle is 15°. Using Coulomb’s wedge theory,
determined the total active and passive thrusts on the wall, per lineal metre assuming

γ1.kN/m3.
23. A retaining wall, 12.5 m high, retains a backfill. The top 5 m of the fill has cohesive soil of a unit

weight of γ1. kN/m3, C1 kN/m2 and φ = 30° and γsat=22 kN/m3 and the next 3.5 m
cohesionless soil has unit weight of 20 kN/m3 and φ = 20° and γsat=24 kN/m3. And the rest sandy
 NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS
PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER
loam backfill is at the bottom, has a cohesion of 12 kN/m2 and φ = 20°, the unit weight is 17.0
kN/m3 and γsat=20 kN/m3. Determine the pressure distribution on the wall as per following
conditions.
a. Backfill fully drained but the top of the wall is restrained against yielding
b. Backfill fully drained and the wall is free to yield and back of the wall is smooth
c. Backfill fully drained and the wall is free to yield and back of the wall is rough so that
there exist friction between wall and backfill.
d. There is no drainage and the wall is free to yield and back of the wall is smooth. There is
water table at depth 4m depth.
e. There is no drainage and the wall is free to yield and back of the wall is rough so that
there exist friction between wall and backfill. There is water table at depth 7m depth.

24. A smooth vertical wall ‘h’ high retains a soil with ‘c’, ‘φ’, and ‘ γ ‘. Show the Rankine active and
passive pressure distribution and determine the magnitude and point of application of the
passive resistance.
25. A smooth vertical wall as shown in figure retains a soil. Water table is at a depth of h1. Show the
Rankine active and passive pressure distribution and determine the magnitude and point of
application of the active and passive resistance.

γ1 C1
Roll No kN/m3 kN/m2
1 11 12
2 12 13
3 13 14
4 14 15
5 15 16
6 16 17
7 17 18
8 18 19
9 19 20
10 20 21
NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS
PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER
11 21 22
12 10.5 11.5
13 11.5 12.5
14 12.5 13.5
15 13.5 14.5
16 14.5 15.5
17 15.5 16.5
18 16.5 17.5
19 17.5 18.5
20 18.5 19.5
21 19.5 20.5
22 20.5 21.5
23 21.5 22.5
24 22.5 23.5
25 22 23
26 10.3 11.3
27 11.3 12.3
28 12.3 13.3
29 13.3 14.3
30 14.3 15.3
31 15.3 16.3
32 16.3 17.3
33 17.3 18.3
34 18.3 19.3
35 19.3 20.3
36 20.3 21.3
37 21.3 22.3
38 22.3 23.3
39 10.6 11.6
40 11.6 12.6
41 12.6 13.6
42 13.6 14.6
43 14.6 15.6
44 15.6 16.6
45 16.6 17.6
46 17.6 18.6
47 18.6 19.6
48 19.6 20.6
49 20.6 21.6
50 21.6 22.6
NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS
PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER
51 22.6 23.6
52 1 2
53 2 3
54 3 4
55 4 5
56 5 6
57 6 7
58 7 8
59 8 9
60 9 10
61 1.3 2.3
62 1.6 2.6
63 2.3 3.3
64 2.6 3.6
65 3.3 4.3
66 3.6 4.6
67 4.3 5.3
68 4.6 5.6
69 5.3 6.3
70 5.6 6.6
71 6.3 7.3
72 6.6 7.6
73 7.3 8.3
74 7.6 8.6
75 8.3 9.3
76 8.6 9.6
77 9.3 10.3
78 9.6 10.6
79 25 26
80 25.3 26.3
81 25.6 26.6
82 25.9 26.9
83 26.2 27.2
84 26.5 27.5
85 26.8 27.8
86 27.1 28.1
87 27.4 28.4
88 27.7 28.7
89 28 29
90 28.3 29.3
NOTE γ1 AND C1 ARE GIVEN IN TABLE BELOW AS
PER YOUR ROLE NUMBER
91 28.6 29.6
92 28.9 29.9
93 29.2 30.2
94 29.5 30.5
95 29.8 30.8
96 30.1 31.1