Abstract:
Retaining walls in the form of abutments and wing walls
have been constructed along various canal systems in the State
of Uttar Pradesh. They have a base to height ratio varying
from 0.35 to 0.57 and have been existing for last 80 to I00
years. These seem to be on the lower side than those for the
walls being designed on the basis of present prectice, accord-
ing to which the base to height ratio works out to 0.70 to
0.85. To reconcile this difference, prototype study of 19
existing retaining walls has been performed and the present
conditions under which they are standing, are worked out.
Laboratory tests, in the form of Block Shear Tests,
Tensile Strength on masonry blocks, Direct Shear Tests for
wall friction angle, Triaxial Shear Tests on the backfill
material, have been carried out.
The present work indicates that the existing walls must
be experiencing tension varying from 3-23 p.s.i. and a factor
of safety against sliding of less than unity. As the retaining
wails are standing in the field withcut any distress, hence the
conditions to which they have been subjected, must be different
from those postulated by the present design practice.
