Foundation 

Engineering II
Lecture no. 4
Anchored Sheet Pile Retaining Wall

By: V. Sanathanan
(July 2022)
Cantilevered Sheet Pile Walls
Recap
1) Cohesionless Soils
Sheet Pile Walls

Cohesionless Soils contd…

Step 1: Calculate 𝐾 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐾
Step 2: Calculate 𝜎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎
Step 3: Calculate 𝐿
Step 4: P (Area of pressure diagram ACDE)
Step 5: Calculate Ž (by taking the moment about point E)
Step 6: Calculate 𝜎 ,
𝜎 𝐾 𝛾𝐿 𝛾𝐿 𝛾𝐿 𝐾 𝐾
Step 7: Calculate A1, A2, A3, and A4
Step 8: Solve 4th order equation by trial and error to find 𝐿
Step 9: Obtain D = (𝐿 + 𝐿 )
Step 10: Increase the D by 20~30% and provide design depth

To complete the pressure diagram:
Step 11: Calculate 𝜎 ,
𝜎 = 𝜎 + 𝛾 𝐿 𝐾 𝐾
Step 12: Calculate 𝜎 ,
𝜎 = 𝐿 𝛾 𝐾 𝐾
Step 13: Obtain𝐿 ,
𝐿
Sheet Pile Walls

Cohesionless Soils – Bending Moment and Shear

Shear force at any point below 𝐿 ,
P ‐ ⁄ 𝑧 𝐿 𝐾 𝐾 𝛾

Maximum bending moment occurs at SF = 0
P = ⁄ 𝑧 𝐿 𝐾 𝐾 𝛾
2𝑃
𝑧
𝐾 𝐾 𝛾

Maximum bending moment: 
𝐵𝑀 𝑃 Ž+z’) ‐ ⁄ 𝛾 𝑧 𝐾 𝐾

Calculate required section modulus:

S = 

Select a suitable sheet pile section from catalog.
Cantilevered Sheet Pile Walls
Recap
2) Cohesive Soils (Embedment)
Sheet Pile Walls

Embedment into Cohesive Soils – Contd…

Step 1: Calculate 𝐾 for granular (sand) soil
Step 2: Calculate 𝜎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎
Step 3: Calculate 𝑃 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧
𝑃 = Area of pressure diagram ACDE
to find 𝑧 , take moment about E for the pressure diagram ACDE
Step 4: Obtain theoretical value of D
Step 5: The actual depth of penetration is Dactual = 1.4 ~ 1.6 time Dtheoritical

To complete the pressure diagram:
Step 6: Calculate 𝐿 ,
𝐿
Step 7: Calculate 𝜎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎 ,
𝜎 4𝑐 𝛾𝐿 𝛾𝐿
𝜎 4𝑐 𝛾𝐿 𝛾𝐿
Step 8: Draw the pressure distribution diagram
Sheet Pile Walls

Embedment into Cohesive Soils – Contd…

Maximum bending moment occurs where shear force becomes zero.

Zero shear force will fall between:
𝐿 𝐿 𝑧 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿

When shear force equals to zero,
𝑃 𝜎𝑧 0
𝑃
𝑧
𝜎
z1
Therefore, BM (maximum) = 𝑃 𝑧 𝑧

After finding the BM, the required section modulus will be:
S = 

Select the suitable section modulus from catalog.
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls
Recap
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Cohesionless Soils Cohesive Soils (Embedment)

F F
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Toe Fixity Considerations

o Due to higher flexibility, sheet pile 
walls allow the earth to fully reach the 
‘active’ and ‘passive’ modes on either 
sides

o Two rotational fixity at the toe are 
discussed:
a) Negligible rotational fixity (a) Negligible rotational fixity
b) Fixed‐end conditions

o Negligible rotational fixity also called 
as ‘free earth support’

o Fixed‐end conditions at toe also called 
as ‘fixed earth support’

(b) Fixed-end conditions at toe

Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support

Free to 
rotate

Earth Pressure Diagram BMD Diagram Net Earth Pressure Diagram

Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support (Sandy) Steps

1) Calculate Ka and Kp

2) Calculate horizontal stress at point C and D

3) Calculate L3

sat ‐ w = buoyancy

4) Net pressure at Point F (same as ’3 in 
cantilever sheet pile example)

5) At equilibrium, summation of all the forces in 
the horizontal direction is zero
Free to rotate

Where, P = Area of ACDE
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support (Sandy)

Steps continued…
6) Taking moment about O’
𝑃 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 𝑍 𝑙 𝜸 𝐾 𝐾 𝐿 𝑙 + 𝐿 + 𝐿 +  𝐿 ) = 0

7) Reduced to,

𝐿 1.5𝐿 𝑙 + 𝐿 + 𝐿 ) ‐ = 0

𝜸

6) Solve by trial‐and‐error method, and find L4

7) Embedment D = L3 + L4 Zbar

8) Increase the theoretical number of D by 30% 
~ 40%

9) Dactual = 1.3 to 1.4 Dtheoritical
Free to rotate
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support (Sandy)

Maximum Moment
12) Find the zero shear location z (similar to 
cantilever sheet pile wall)
𝐿 ‐ F + σ 𝑧 𝐿 +  𝜸 𝑧 𝐿 = 0

13) After finding the z, take moment about zero 
shear location to find maximum moment   

14) The force in the anchor rod (F),
F = P1 – P2; Where,
P1 = Area of ACDE
P2 = Area of BEF (L4 to be input)
Free to rotate
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support (Clayey) Steps

1) Calculate Ka and Kp

2) Calculate horizontal stress at point C and D

3) Net pressure at Point F

sat = buoyancy
4) At equilibrium, summation of all the forces in 
the horizontal direction is zero

Free to rotate Where, 
P1 = Area of ACDE
F = anchor force per unit length 
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(a) Free Earth Support (Clayey)

Steps continued
5) Taking moment about O’
𝑃 𝐿 𝐿 𝑙 𝑍 σ 𝐷 𝑙 + 𝐿 +D/2) = 0

6) Reduced to,

Assume shear = 0 
7) After obtaining the theoretical depth (D), increase 40% ~ 60% 
for actual embedment

8) Dactual = 1.4 to 1.6 Dtheoritical

9) Maximum moment occurs within L1 < z < (L1 + L2) 
Free to rotate
10) At zero shear force location, bending moment is maximum. 
F – (½*𝐿1 ∗ 𝐾𝑎 ∗ σ ) + ½ *Ka *  2σ 𝑧 𝐿1 𝜸’)]*(z‐L1) = 0; 
find the z and take moment about z to find the maximum bending 
moment
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(b) Fixed Earth Support

Free to 
rotate

Earth Pressure Diagram BMD Diagram Net Earth Pressure Diagram

Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(b) Fixed Earth Support

Equivalent Propped Cantilever Beam 
(only for reference purpose)
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(b) Fixed Earth Support (Sandy) Steps

1) Finding inflection potin (L5)
Friction  Distance of the inflection 
angle (Ф) point below dredged level (L5)
L’ 20 0.25L
sat = buoyancy
25 0.15L

30 0.08L

35 0.035L

40 ‐00007L ~ zero

2) Calculate maximum loaded span (L’)
Fixed L’ = l2 + L2 + L5

3) Calculate equivalent load from highlighted 
area of pressure diagram (Say W)

4) Mmax = WL’/8

5) Calculate P’ by taking moment about O’
P’ * L’ = moment of area ACDJI about O’
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

(b) Fixed Earth Support (Sandy) Steps

6) Calculated D:
D = L5 + 1.2 
𝜸

L’
sat = buoyancy
7) Calculating the anchor force (F):
by taking moment about point I,
F * L’ = moment of area ACDJI about I

Additional Note: to find L5 using chart

Fixed
Sheet Pile Walls

Moment Reduction Techniques with

Free Earth Support Method
(by Rowe's Moment-Reduction Curves )
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Free Earth Support Method and Moment Reduction Techniques by Rowe

o DTheoretical, is obtained by taking moments about
the anchorage (point A).

o This penetration depth is just to balance lateral

forces without taking account of fixity.

o Therefore, the actual penetration depth must be

increased by 30%-40% (DActual = 1.3 to 1.4
DTheoretical).

o But, if a factor of safety is applied to Kp at the

beginning of the passive side (i.e., Kp(Design) =
Kp/F.S.), there is no need to increase D
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Free Earth Support Method and Moment Reduction Techniques by Rowe

o Resolving the forces horizontally allows the
determination of the free earth support tie
force

o Then taking moments through the sheeting

yields the maximum free earth support
moment.

o However, this moment is found to be

greater than the actual maximum moment
M acting on the sheeting.

o Therefore, since a pile is not infinitely stiff

and some fixity develops below the dredge
level, Rowe (1952, 1957) developed
moment reduction curves for piles in sand
and clay
Mactual < Mtheoritical
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Free Earth Support Method and Moment Reduction Techniques by Rowe (Sand)

1) Finding total height (H’):

H’ = L1 + L2 + Dactual

2) Choose a sheet pile section and get section

modulus (S) and 2nd moment of area (I)

3) Find relative flexibility of pile:

Where, H in (m), E in (MN/m2), and I in

(m4/m) of the wall.

4) Find Mdesign = S x σall

(Sand)
5) Find Mmax (theoretical)

6) Plot Log ρ and Md/Mmax

Anchored Sheet Pile Walls
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Free Earth Support Method and Moment Reduction Techniques by Rowe (Sand)

7) If the point falls

a) within unsafe section – increase the
sheet pile section
b) above the dense sand and loose sand
sections then ‘safe section’

Note:
Take note that chose section Md will be less
than Mmax

(Sand)
Anchored Sheet Pile Walls

Free Earth Support Method and Moment Reduction Techniques by Rowe (Clay)

1) Finding total height (H’):

H’ = L1 + L2 + Dactual

2) Determine α = (L1 + L2) / H’

3) Determine Stability number (Sn):

𝑐
𝑆 1.25
𝜸𝐿 𝜸′𝐿
Where, c – undrained cohesion of clay

4) for different values of α and Sn, determine

Md/Mmax for various log ρ from figure shown
next

5) Follow the steps as per Sandy soils until

you get the optimum sheet pile section

(Clay)
Sheet Pile Walls

Practice Example
(Cantilevered Sheet Pile wall)
Sheet Pile Walls

Find:
a) Required penetration length (L) 
b) Maximum bending moment (BM‐max)
c) Required section modulus (S) of the 
sheet pile section
Sheet Pile Walls

Thank you