EVALUATION OF LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE& OVER A RETAINING WALL

Abstract

Two aspects of earth pressure acting on retaining walls have been attempted in this dissertation dealing with (i) the evaluation of lateral earth pressures over a retaining wall with a broken back and (ii) placement of.a line load over the backfill profile and its corresponding pressure distribution on the earth pressure acting over a wall with a straight back. In part I (chapter 3), a general analytical solution for calculating earth pressure active or passive, in a homogeneous soil, under earthquake conditions, on a wall with a broken back and for different types of surcharge over a bilinear backfill surface is presented. A very simple graphical technique is also suggested to obtain the earth pressures in a cohesionless soil, on a wall with a broken back. A fully workedout example has been included in Appendix 2, in order to indicate the procedure of applying the relationships derived. In part 11 (chapter 4) an analysis has been presented for evaluating the correct method of obtaining the distance from the crest of the wall, where a line load can be placed in order to have no effect on the earth pressure due to backfill alone. This analysis necessitated the determination of a probable type of distribution of combined earth pressure due to backfill and line load. A critical review of earth pressure theories has been presented in chapter 2 with an introduction to the presented dissertation in chapter 1.