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Capter 6.part B - Retaining Walls Presentation1
Capter 6.part B - Retaining Walls Presentation1
Capter 6.part B - Retaining Walls Presentation1
Earth Pressure
Chapter 6
Part B
Retaining Wall Terminology
Retaining Wall Terminology (Cont.)
Common Types of Walls
Gravity retaining walls
• Are constructed with plain concrete or
stone masonry.
• They depend on their own weight and any
soil resting on the masonry for stability.
• This type of construction is not economical
for high walls.
Semi‐gravity retaining walls
• A small amount of steel may be used for
construction of gravity walls.
• This minimising the size of wall sections.
Cantilever retaining walls
• Are made of reinforced
concrete
• Consists of a thin stem and a
slab
• It is so named because its
individual parts (toe, heel,
and stem) behave as , and
design as, cantilever beams
• Aside from its stability, the
capacity of the wall is a
function of the strength of its
individual parts
• This type of wall is
economical to a height of
about 8m.
Counterfort retaining walls
• The counterfort wall may be economical
when the wall height is in excess of 8 m.
• The counterforts are spaced at intervals and
act as tension members to support the stem
• The stem is then designed as a continous
member spaning horizontally between
counterforts
• The purpose of the counterforts is to reduce
the shear and the bending moments
Buttress retaining walls
• The buttress wall is similar to
the counterfort wall except
that the buttress are located
on the side of the stem
opposite to the retained
material and act as
compression member to
support the stem
• The counterfort wall is more
commonly used because it has
a clear, uncluttered exposed
face and allows for more
efficient use of space in front
of the wall
Basement Foundation Wall
• The basement foundation wall
may act as cantilever wall.
• The first floor may provide an
additional horizontal reaction
similar to the basement floor
slab., however, thereby making
the wall act as a vertical beam.
• This wall would then be
designed as a simply supported
member spanning between the
first floor and the basement
floor slab.
Bridge Abutment Wall
• The bridge abutment is
similar in some respects to
the basement wall.
• The bridge superstructure
induces horizontal as well as
vertical loads, thus altering
the normal cantilever.
Bearing Walls
• The bearing wall may
exist with or without
lateral loads.
• A bearing wall may be
defined as a wall that
supports any vertical load
in addition to its own
weight.
• Depending of magnitudes
of the vertical and lateral
loads, the wall mat have
to be designed for
combined bending and
axial compression.
GRAVITY AND CANTILEVER WALLS
PROPORTIONING RETAINING WALLS
• When designing retaining walls,
an engineer must assume some
of the dimensions, called
proportioning, which allows the
engineer to check trial sections
for stability.
• If the stability checks yield
undesirable results, the sections
can be changed and rechecked.
• Approximate dimensions for
various components of retaining
wall for initial stability check: (a)
gravity wall; (b) cantilever wall
Note: Minimum dimension of D~
0.6 m.
Basic Design Considerations
A proper retaining wall design satisfies the following requirements:
1. The structural components of the wall (the base and the stem) are capable of
resisting the internal shears and bending moments developing as result of soil
and other loading
2. Check for overturning about its toe
3. Check for sliding along its base
4. Check for bearing capacity failure of the base
5. Check for settlement
In a design analysis,
the position of the
lateral pressure
resultant at the back
of a wall is as
indicated in here
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
1. The analysis for shear forces
and bending moments acting on
the vertical section of a wall is
similar to the procedure for
analysing a structural beam
carrying a distributed loading
A free‐body force diagram illustrating stability forces on a cantilevered wall
Free‐body diagram‐gravity structure
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
2. Check for overturning about its toe
• Compare moments about an
assumed axis of rotation (typically
the toe of the wall) that result
from forces acting to cause
overturning and forces acting to
resist overturning.
• The ratio of moments resisting to
those causing overturing is the
factor of safety against
overturning.
• A value of 2 or greater is
normally desired.
• The resultant of forces should
also located within the mid‐third
of base.
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
2. Check for overturning about its toe(Cont.)
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
3. Check for sliding along
its base
• The stability against
sliding is evaluated by
compering forces
causing sliding to
those resisting sliding.
• The ratio of the forces
resisting to the forces
causing is the factor of
safety against sliding.
• A desired minimum
value of 1.5 is typical.
• Alternatives for
increasing the factor of
safety with respect to
sliding.
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
4. Check for bearing capacity failure
of the base
• Typical soil bearing pressure
distribution as a result of lateral
pressure against wall
• The undrained shearing strength
and bearing capacity of the
foundation deposit should be
evaluated to ensure that the in
situ conditions will be capable of
supporting the loading to result
from the wall and backfill.
• Once the ultimate bearing
capacity of the soil has been
calculated , the factor of safety
against bearing capacity failure
can be determined:
Basic Design Considerations (Cont.)
5. Check for settlement
• Weight of wall and backfill
can cause wall to settle
• Studies of retaining wall
performance have indicated
the clay foundations were
involved in the majority of
failure
• Wall settlement can be
evaluated from settlement
analysis based on
compressibility of the
foundation soils.
Ground Bearing Pressure
Ground Bearing Pressure (Cont.)
The middle‐third rule
The middle‐third rule (Cont.)
From Figure below, it may stated that NO TENSION WILL
OCCUR IN THE WALL JUST ABOVE THE BASE IF RESULTANT
GROUND REACTION CUTS THE BASE WITHIN THE MIDDLE
THIRD. This statement is known as the middle –third rule.
The middle‐third rule (Cont.)
Since tension cannot exist between the base of
the wall and the soil beneath, the pressure
distribution will be shown in this Figure.
The area of the pressure diagram is equal to the
ground reaction V.
Drainage Provision
• The biggest proportion of failures of walls higher than 3 m is caused by water
pressure in a backfill that was assumed by the designer to remain dry.
• The most important single consideration in wall design is insuring good drainage.
• The simplest water control measure is a weep hole. They are 1.5 to 3 m apart
horizontally and vertically and 75 to 100 mm in diameter to permit easy drainage.
• Unless the backfill is coarse gravel, a filter system is essential to prevent erosion of
the backfill.
• More elaborate drains
consist of 0.15 to 0.2
m perforated pipe laid
in a filter trench at the
wall base.
• A blanket drain against
the wall or an inclined
drain between the
backfill and the
original ground are
used with backfill soils
that drain slowly.
ɸ = 26o
Ɣ = 16.5 KN/m3
7.7 KN/m2
Backfill Material
• The best backfill is rigid, free‐draining, and with high angle of internal friction.
• Table below rates the soils of the Unified Classification for selection.
• Lightweight artificial materials such as expanded shale and crushed slag often
make good backfill.
• A wedge – shaped backfill of sand, gravel, or slag at least 50% wider than the
failure wedge makes it possible to design the wall for the lower pressure of a
cohesionless soil, even though the remainder of the backfill is clay.
Drainage Filter Design
Backfill
Work Example
Figure below shows the grain‐size distribution of a backfill material. Using the conditions
outlined in the slide above determine the range of grain‐size distribution for the filter material.
Solution:
From the grain‐size distribution
curve given in the figure above,
the following values can
be determined:
D 15 (B) = 0.04 (mm)
D 85 (B) = 0.25 (mm)
D 50 (B) = 0.13 (mm)
Conditions of Filter;
1. D 15 (F) should be less
than 5 D 85 (F) : 5 x 0.25 =
1.25 (mm)
2. D 15 (F) should be greater
than 4 D 15 (B) : 4 x 0.04 =
0.16 (mm)
3. D 50 (F) should be less than
25 D (B) 50 (B) : = 25 x 0.13
= 3.25 (mm)
4. D 15 (F) should be less than
20 D 15 : = 20 x 0.04 = 0.8
(mm)
Solution (Cont.)
These limiting points are plotted. Through then, two curves can be drawn that are similar in
nature to the grain‐size distribution of the backfill material. These curves define the range of
the filter material to be used.
• For less than the angle of repose Just use the grading
• Steeper banks Use stabilisation i.e. lime, cement, etc.
• Steeper slopes Use reinforced concrete slab.
“Note”
Must design for earth pressure and
dynamic forces induced by the driving
operation.
• Consider to be temporary
• Where major changes in grade are
required. i.e. deep excavation is
required for the installation of
permanent construction.
• Refer to lecture notes for drainage details
“Note”
Basement walls and slab on
ground should be protected
from leakage of water and /or
influx of moisture. This
protection has not been
shown on any of these details.
• Relatively easy to build
• Depend solely on their
own dead weight.
• Easy rule make the width
of the base equal to one‐
half of the overall height of
the wall.
• Self supporting and restrain the
earth by reason of their
geometry and mass.
• Used in granular type soils.
• Because such soils are very
receptive to pile installation.
• Minimum spacing of piles is
usually 1.2 m along the length of
wall.
Timber piles or hollow shell
concrete filled piles.
• Highly effective when the tiedowns
can be anchored into bedrock or into
soil that is extremely dense and hard.
• Tiedowns give a substantial vertical
component which acts to resist the
effect of over turning.
• Anchor the wall back into undisturbed earth with prestressed tiebacks, thereby
removing all or most of the horizontal trust from the footing.
• This procedure is permissible only when
the owner of the retaining wall has legal
access to the adjacent underground
property
Difference between
Tiedowns and Tiebacks
The tiedown system is truly a
cantilever retaining wall,
where as the tieback system is
that of a wall designed to
span vertically between
anchor points. The tiedown
system, therefore, will require
heavier reinforcing, a wide
footing, and more excavation.