Design Of Retaining Wall- Components,

Principle and Requirements

here are various parts of a retaining wall and design principles of these retaining wall components
based on different factors and materials and methods of construction are discussed. Any wall that
sustains significant lateral soil pressure is a retaining wall. However, the term is usually used with
reference to a cantilever retaining wall, which is a freestanding wall without lateral support at its top.

In the current discussion, we shall elucidate the design of Retaining wall, components, principles and
requirements involved. This topic is very pertinent when it comes to important examinations,
including SSC JE CE, and RRB JE Civil.

Dimensions of Retaining Wall Components

The range of its dimensions establishes some different categories for the retaining structure as
follow:

Curbs

Curbs are the shortest freestanding retaining structures. The selection of the kerbs are being made
on the basis of whether or not it is necessary to have a gutter on the how side of the curb. Use of this
structure is typically limited to grade level changes of about 0.6m or less.

Short retaining walls

Vertical walls up to about 3m in height are usually built and these consist of a concrete or masonry
wall of uniform thickness, vertical wall reinforcing, and transverse footing reinforcing are all designed
for the lateral shear and cantilever bending moment plus the vertical weights of the wall, footing,
and earth fills. When the bottom of the footing is a show distance below grade on the low side of the
wall and/or the lateral passive resistance of the soil is low, it may be necessary to use an extension
below the footing, called a shear key, to increase the resistance to sliding.

Tall retaining walls

As the wall height increases, it becomes less feasible to use simple construction. The overturning
moment increases sharply with the increase in the height of the wall. For very tall walls, one
modification used is to taper the wall thickness. This permits the development of a reasonable cross-
section for the high bending stress at the base without an excessive amount of concrete.

Principles Of The Design Of Retaining Wall

Before the actual design of the retaining wall, the soil parameters that influence the earth pressure
and the bearing capacity of the soil must be evaluated through suitable soil tests. These include:

o Soil unit weight

o Angle of shearing resistance
o The cohesion intercepts
o The angle of wall friction

With the knowledge of these parameters, the lateral earth pressure and the bearing capacity of the
soil can be determined.

Requirements for Safe Design of Retaining Walls

The main design criteria are as follows:

o To prevent overturning of the wall about toe.

o To prevent sliding of the wall at its base.
o To prevent tension anywhere in the base soil.
o To prevent bearing failure of the base soil.

Requirements for Safe Design of Retaining Walls

For a safe design of retaining walls, the following requirements must be satisfied:

No Sliding

The wall must be safe against sliding i.e. μRV ˃ RH where RV and RH are vertical and horizontal
components of R respectively. Factor of safety against sliding, FoSsliding = μRV/RH where μ is the
coefficient of friction between the base of the wall and the soil (μ = tanδ). Minimum value
of FoSsliding���������� = 1.5.

No Overturning

Wall must be safe against overturning about the toe. The factor of safety against overturning,

Factor Of Safety(FOS) for Overturning = ΣMR/ΣMO

where

MR = sum of resisting moment about the toe, and

MO = sum of overturning moment about the toe

FOS for overturning should be between 1.5 and 2.

No Bearing Capacity Failure

The pressure caused by RV at the toe of the wall must not exceed the allowable bearing capacity of
the soil. The pressure distribution at the base is assumed to be linear and the maximum pressure at
the base is given by

Pmax = RV/B (1 + 6e/B)

where,

e = eccentricity

B = breadth of the retaining wall

The factor of safety(FOS) against bearing capacity failure is given by Q/P

where Q = allowable bearing capacity

The FOS of 3 is specified provided the settlement is also within the allowable limit

No Tension

There should be no tension at the base of the wall. When the eccentricity (e) is greater than B/6,
tension develops at the heel of the retaining wall. Tension is not desirable because the tensile
strength of soil is very small and tensile crack would develop and the effective base area is reduced.
In such situations, the maximum pressure should be given as:

pmin=∑Fyb[1−6eb]����=∑���[1−6��]

\(P_{max} = \frac{\sum F_y}{b} [1+ \frac{6e}{b}]\)

Concrete Framing System for Retaining Walls

A concrete framing system is a common choice for retaining walls due to its durability and strength.
It involves using reinforced concrete elements, such as columns, beams, and slabs, to form the
structure. The system provides excellent resistance against lateral earth pressures and offers flexibility
in design options, allowing for various wall heights, slopes, and aesthetics while ensuring the stability
and longevity of the retaining wall.

Stability Analysis
Stability analysis is a vital component in various scientific and engineering disciplines. It involves
assessing the stability of systems, structures, or processes to ensure their reliable and safe operation.
Through mathematical modeling, simulations, and experimentation, stability analysis helps identify
critical points, equilibrium states, and potential instabilities, providing valuable insights for decision-
making and risk mitigation.

Bearing Pressure Analysis

Bearing pressure analysis is crucial in the design and analysis of structures that support loads, such as
foundations and footings. It involves calculating the maximum pressure exerted by the structure on
the underlying soil or foundation material. By considering factors like soil strength, load distribution,
and safety factors, bearing pressure analysis helps ensure that the structure's load-bearing capacity is
not exceeded, preventing potential failures and ensuring structural integrity.

Member Design and Detailing

Member design and detailing are essential stages in the structural engineering process. It involves
determining the appropriate dimensions, materials, and reinforcement for structural members like
beams, columns, and slabs to ensure their strength, stability, and durability. Detailing includes
specifying reinforcement layouts, connections, and other crucial details to facilitate construction and
ensure compliance with design codes and standards. Effective member design and detailing are
crucial for safe and efficient structures.

Design Procedure for Earth Retaining Wall

Design Procedure of Gravity Retaining wall

Step 1: Choose a trial section

o Top width should be ≥ 0.3m for ease of placement of section

o Depth of foundation (D) below the surface of natural soil should be ≥ 0.6m
o Base width of the wall should be 0.5H to 0.7H, where H is the height of the retaining wall and
an average of 2H/3

Step 2: Compute earth pressure using Rankine or Coulomb’s theory.

To check whether to use Rankine or Coulomb theory, check that

η = (45o + β/2) – ϕ/2 – sin-1 (sin β/ sinϕ) where β represents inclination of backfill and ϕ is the angle
of wall friction.

Step 3: Check for stability using weight of soil, earth pressure and weight of wall based on the
component dimensions of the structure.

Design Procedure of Semi-gravity Retaining Wall

It has the same design procedure as that of a gravity retaining wall except that the base width in this
case is slightly small.

Design Procedure of Cantilever Retaining Wall

 Here, top width should be ≥ 0.3H

Width of base slab = 2H/3

Width of stem and bottom, the thickness of base slab and the length of the projection should be
kept at about 0.1H

Other procedures are identical to the gravity retaining wall

If the required FOS for sliding is less than 1.5, a base key is provided directly under the stem of the
retaining wall. This increases the passive resistance. Some main steel from the stem is taken into the
key.

Design Procedure of Counterfort retaining wall

The counterforts are about 0.3m thick and have C/C spacing of 0.3H to 0.7H. The analysis is also
similar to that of a cantilever retaining wall with slight differences due to the presence of
counterforts.

Retaining Wall Design Considerations

Retaining wall design considerations encompass various factors to ensure the stability and
functionality of these structures. Key considerations include analyzing soil properties, calculating
lateral earth pressures, selecting appropriate wall types, incorporating proper drainage systems,
accounting for surcharges, and addressing environmental factors. These considerations help
engineers design retaining walls that can effectively withstand soil pressures, prevent soil erosion,
and maintain long-term stability.

In the current discussion, we have discussed the Design of retaining walls. Timely guidance is
extremely important to crack competitive examinations. For this, we have come up with AE/JE Civil
Coaching accessible on the Testbook App. So what are you waiting for? Enroll now.

We also suggest that you attempt a myriad of SSC JE Civil Mock Tests and SSC JE Civil Previous Year
Papers available on the Testbook application portal.
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How to Design Retaining Walls? | Civil Engineering

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In this article we will discuss about how to design retaining walls.

Design of Cantilever Type Retaining Wall:

The following points are considered for design of retaining wall:

1. The design of vertical wall should be such that, it can resists the bending moment as well as shearing
force, developed at the junction point of the base slab.

2. The design of base slab should also be such that, the load coming on the soil should be within the
range of safe limit.

3. The retaining wall must be safe against sliding. It can be achieved

by making the base slab of wider width to increase the frictional
resistance between the soil and foundation of the wall.

4. The design of toe and heel of the wall should be carefully done, so
that they can resist the bending moment, significantly.
5. The width of base slab should be so kept as it can bear the load
coming on the soil, safely.

6. There should be provided temperature steel on the exposed face

of the retaining wall, so that it can withstand against the effects of
temperature. Generally, 0.2% of the total concrete volume, is
provided as the temperature steel. The steel should be provided in
form of bars, both in horizontal and vertical directions.
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7. The top thickness of stem should be kept within the range of

minimum 15 cm to maximum 45 cm, provided that there should be
heavy surcharge load on the retaining wall.

8. The base width should be kept in the range of 0.4 to 0.6 of the
total height of the retaining wall, above the foundation.

9. The maximum length of toe should be 0.3 of the base width and
minimum length can be up to 0.2 of the base width.

10. The average thickness of base should be equal to the stem at the
bottom of the wall. Sometimes, 5 cm additional thickness is also
given to the base, depending on the height of the retaining wall.
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11. In case of masonry retaining wall, the development of tension

must be checked, which-can be achieved by creating a condition to
make the eccentricity value either equal to or less than b/6; in
which ‘b’ is the base width of the retaining wall.

Design of Cantilever Retaining Wall:

In this type of retaining wall, the stem acts as cantilever and is

subject to lateral earth pressure.

The design consists of determining the following

parameters:
ADVERTISEMENTS:

1. Intensity of Total Earth Pressure (P):

Let ‘h’ is the height of the stem; α is the surcharge angle and ɸ is the
internal frictional angle. Also assume the length of retaining wall as
1 m.

Total earth pressure acting on the wall at height ‘h’ is given by the
equation

2. Maximum Bending Moment: