ACE060 Deep Foundations

Mats Karlsson
Mats.karlsson@chalmers.se
ACE060 Deep Foundations

Design of retaining walls

Part 2
 Learning Objectives

– Introduce how to dimensioning a retaining wall with two or

more support level
– Calculate earth pressure
• length of wall
• strut forces
• max bending moment
Suggested reading ch. 4 in Book Kempfert & Gebreselassie
Canvas: Handbook Sheet pile wall old ways (1 strut)
Example last time
• What could we see wrt resulting
earth pressure?
• What happens when anchors is pre-
stressed?
Relative relationship between lateral strain and
lateral earth pressure coefficient
Effect of wall movement
Effect of wall movement
Effect of wall movement
 Movement/deflection
Cantilever Propped wall
Deflection of wall
Surface settlement
 Design of excavation

• Retaining wall with one strut/anchor level

• Safety class 1, 2 and 3 (γd=0,83, 0,91 & 1)
• Design approach DA3 is to be used ( in Sweden)
 Swedish DA3 according to
“Sponthandboken 2018”

A1 = Construction loads, acts directly on retaining wall

A2 = Geotechnical load, loads that is transferred through soil onto retaining wall
 Model factor γsd for calculating
dimensioning section forces for SLS
(Serviceability Limit State)

Model factor
Weak and ductile construction elements e.g. 1.4
sheet pile wall, whaler, anchor
Brittle and stiff construction elements e.g. 1.5
strut
Load only from free water (not ground water) 1.2

When using characteristic values, i.e. not using any partial factors
on soil parameters or loads
 Design of retaining wall
- with two or more struts/anchors
International ways

• Peck and Terzaghi (1967)

see book Kempfert & Gebreselassie p. 132

• Swedish method “Sponthandboken” = “Sheet pile handbook”

 Multi-prop excavations

Distributions are ”standard” apparent earth pressure envelopes.

NOTE:
• They bear no resemblence to real earth pressure distributions.
• They are purely for calculating forces.
Kempfert & Gebreselassie p. 132
Sheet pile handbook – Sweden
Earth pressure in clay for multi-prop walls

!!!!!OBS!!!!!
- Do we have enough
passive earth pressure
below excavation
bottom?
Distribution of earth pressure
Dimensioning construction
elements
• This is a very short introduction

• Read more in your previous classes regarding steel structures

• There is also a pdf document uploaded in Canvas from that

gives information about sheet pile walls and much more from
ArcelorMittal
– ArcelorMittal-Piling Handbook (you find it under module
Retaining walls)
 Calculation of bending
moments for multi-prop walls
 Calculation of bending
moments for multi-prop walls
For cantilever bending moment at top level
Requirement is:
M ED ≤ M c , Rd
If 0.2H is deeper than strut/anchor
M c.Rd = β B ⋅ Wel ⋅ f y
σ i1 ⋅ h 2
h1
Msd
= σ i1
where= ⋅σ i
for class 3 cross-sections
1

6 0.2 H

β is a factor due to shear forces

Bending moment between struts/anchors
in sheet piles locks

l is the distance between struts/anchors

 Calculation of bending
moments for multi-prop walls
Bending moment below the lowest strut/anchor. If the passive earth pressure cannot create
enough force below the lowest strut/anchor. For this case the one of these two equations giving
max bending moment should be used

Requirement is:
M ED ≤ M c , Rd

M c.Rd = β B ⋅ Wel ⋅ f y
or
for class 3 cross-sections
β is a factor due to shear forces
in sheet piles locks
Wel is the elastic section
modulus
 Calculation of bending
moments for multi-prop walls

Rotate 90 deg

See it as a beam if it helps!

 D-point
D-point is to the point where
support forces are calculated i.e.
strut and anchor forces

Bending moment is calculated

according to figures before
Calculation of whaler forces
for multi-prop walls
• Ultimate limit state (ULS)
M Ed =
q ⋅ c2
12
Whaler has to be controlled assumed elastic calculation
for bending moment (M) and
Requirement is: M ED ≤ M c , Rd
shear forces (T)

q = calculated load for ULS M c .=

Rd Wel ⋅ f y
c = distance between for class 3 cross-sections
struts/anchors
Calculation of whaler forces for
multi-prop walls
• the shear resistance needs
to be checked
N Ed = q ⋅ c
q = calculated load for ULS N Ed ≤ N Rd
c = distance between
struts/anchors
N Rd = A ⋅ f y ⋅ ( χ )
• This is the same for strut A=cross section area
loads for vertical force
χ =reduction factor for struts only
Calculation of anchor forces for
multi-prop walls
• Ultimate limit state (ULS)
FEd = q ⋅ c
• Only looking at the rod and no FEd ≤ FRd
consideration to other parts here

Ag ⋅ f y
FRd =
γM0

Ag= area of anchor

γM0=1
 Bottom heave

Conditions that needs to

be fulfilled. If 2/3B >d use the
average value in 2d

d
Stability factor, Ncb
 Stability factor, Ncb
• How to chose Ncb values
– Ncb>7 should used with care, not recommended
– Tie-back anchors with vertical support Ncb=5.7
– If no vertical support Ncb=4.1
– d value should be at least half excavation depth
– Tie-back anchors inclination is less than 45 degrees
• When do we have vertical support?
• Engineering judgement?
• Calculate?
• Field verification?
Designing a 2 prop excavation
in clay
• Where do we start?
– Soil profile
– Water pressure
– What code should we use?
• Where should the struts/anchors (props) be?

• How long should the sheet pile be?

• How do we determine this?
• Can we know what's critical at what stage?
Design process

When reaching excavation

bottom some measures need
To be taken to protect the
excavation bottom.
- Cast concrete slab
- Geotextile and gravel
- Other?
example
 Earth pressure
0
Earth pressure

−2
Depth under ground surface (m)

−4

−6

−8

− 10
− 100 − 50 0 50 100

Resulting earth pressure (kPa)

Earth pressure distrubution
0
Earth pressure
Apperent earth pressure

−2
Depth under ground surface (m)

−4

−6
D

−8

− 10
− 200 − 100 0 100

Resulting earth pressure (kPa)