Purpose of calculation:

Calculate whether the wall will slide forward? Calculate the bearing pressure beneath the base?
Considering friction acting on the vertical faces, would stability improve?
Calculation Reference
Geotechnics

Calculation Validation
Reproduction of a sample calculation from a published calculation reference

Calculation Units SI2

Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base

Surface load
Q= 10,000 N/m²

Gabions
Length

LG = 1m
Depth

DG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17,000 N/m³

Concrete Base
Length

LCB = 1.2 m
Depth

DCB = 0.5 m
Unit Weight
γ= 24,000 N/m³
Friction angle on the base soil interface
δ= 25 °

Soil above the water table

Unit Weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter
φ'= 30 °

Soil below the water table

Unit weight
 γ= 20,000 N/m³
Drained (effective stress) shear strength parameter
φ'= 30 °

Active pressure coefficient

Ka = #ADDIN? = 11 -- ssin[{
=
###
= pφφ'}
in [{p '} // {{180}]
180}] [Eqn. 1]
1 + sin[{p φ'} / {180}]
Values at soil surface
Depth coordinate

z0 = 0m
Pore water pressure
u= 0 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = = Q [Eqn. 2]
10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = = σ v - u [Eqn. 3]
10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ v 'Ka [Eqn. 4]
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ h ' + u [Eqn. 5]

Values at 2m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate

z2 = 2m
Pore water pressure
u= 0 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = = (γz2) + Q [Eqn. 6]
42,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = = σ v - u [Eqn. 7]
42,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ v 'Ka [Eqn. 8]
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ h ' + u [Eqn. 9]

Values at 2.5m below the soil surface

Depth coordinate

z2.5 = 2.5 m
Pore water pressure
u= 5,000 N/m²
Unit weight
γ= 20,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = = (γ[z2.5 - z2]) + σ v [Eqn. 10]
52,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = = σ v - u [Eqn. 11]
47,000 N/m² ###
 = σ v - u [Eqn. 11]
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ v 'Ka [Eqn. 12]
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ h ' + u [Eqn. 13]

0
#ADDIN? #ADDIN? #ADDIN?

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5

-3

Force is equal to area under the graph

= σ hz2 [Eqn. 14]
F1 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
= 0.5(σ h - σ h)z2 [Eqn. 15]
F2 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
= σ h(z2.5 - z2) [Eqn. 16]
F3 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
= 0.5(σ h - σ h)(z2.5 - z2) [Eqn. 17]
F4 = #ADDIN? N/m ###
=(e127:e130) [Eqn. 18]
Ha = #ADDIN? N/m ###

Lever need to work out moment acting from each area

L1 = #ADDIN? m ==(z
### (z2.5
2.5 -- zz22) + z2 [Eqn. 19]
L2 = #ADDIN? m ==(z
### 2.5 -- zz22) + z22
(z2.5 [Eqn. 20]
L3 = #ADDIN? m == z2.5 - z22
### 3 21]
[Eqn.
L4 = #ADDIN? m == z2.52- z22
### [Eqn. 22]
3
Moment
= F1L1 [Eqn. 23]
M1 = #ADDIN? Nm/m###
= F2L2 [Eqn. 24]
M2 = #ADDIN? Nm/m###
= F3L3 [Eqn. 25]
M3 = #ADDIN? Nm/m###
= F4L4 [Eqn. 26]
M4 = #ADDIN? Nm/m###
=(e140:e143) [Eqn. 27]
Ma = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

Kp = #ADDIN? == 1
= 1
### [Eqn. 28]
Ka
Value at 0.5m below the soil surface on the passive side
Depth coordinate
z= 0.5 m
Pore water pressure
u= 5,000 N/m²
Unit weight
 γ= 20,000 N/m³
Total Normal Stress (vertical)
σv = = γz [Eqn. 29]
10,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (vertical)
σv' = = σ v - u [Eqn. 30]
5,000 N/m² ###
Effective Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h ' = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ v 'Kp [Eqn. 31]
Total Normal Stress (horizontal)
σ h = #ADDIN? N/m² ###
= σ h ' + u [Eqn. 32]

Passive pressure force

= 0.5σ hz [Eqn. 33]

Hp = #ADDIN? N/m ###
Passive moment
== Hp z
Mp = #ADDIN? Nm/m### [Eqn. 34]
3

Gabions

W.T
Concrete Base
A

Consider sliding
Top Gabion
Length

LTG = 1m
Depth

DTG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17,000 N/m³
Area
A= 1 m² ###
= LTGDTG [Eqn. 35]
Weight

WTG = = γA [Eqn. 36]

17000 N/m ###
Lever about point A

LA = 0.5 m = LTG / 2 [Eqn. 37]

###
Moment about point A

MA = = WTGLA [Eqn. 38]

8500 Nm/m###

Bottom Gabion
Length

LBG = 1m
Depth

DBG = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 17000 N/m³
Area
A= 1 m² ###
= LBGDBG [Eqn. 39]
Weight

WBG = = γA [Eqn. 40]

17000 N/m ###
Lever about point A

LA = #ADDIN? m == LBG + 0.2 [Eqn. 41]

###
2
Moment about point A

= WBGLA [Eqn. 42]

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

Concrete Block
Length

LCB = 1.2 m
Depth

DCB = 0.5 m
Unit Weight
γ= 24000 N/m³
Area
A= 0.6 m² ###
= LCBDCB [Eqn. 43]
Weight

WCB = = γA [Eqn. 44]

14400 N/m ###
Lever about point A

LA = #ADDIN? m == LCB
### [Eqn. 45]
2
Moment about point A

= WCBLA [Eqn. 46]

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

Soil
Length

LS = 0.2 m = LCB - LBG [Eqn. 47]

###
Depth

DS = 1m
Unit Weight
γ= 16,000 N/m³
Area
A= 0.2 m² ###
= LSDS [Eqn. 48]
Weight

WS = = γA [Eqn. 49]
3200 N/m ###
Lever about point A

LA = #ADDIN? m == LS
### [Eqn. 50]
2
Moment about point A

= WSLA [Eqn. 51]

MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

Total Weight

WTotal = = WS + WCB + WBG + WTG [Eqn. 52]

51600 N/m ###
 = WS + WCB + WBG + WTG [Eqn. 52]
Total Moment about point A

= MA + MA + MA + MA [Eqn. 53]
MA = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

(Effective) Normal reaction

N' = = WTotal - (LCBu) [Eqn. 54]

45600 N/m ###
Maximum sliding resistance
T = #ADDIN? N/m ###
= N' tan pδ [Eqn. 55]
180
Total load that must resist sliding
H = #ADDIN? N/m ###
= Ha - Hp [Eqn. 56]

#ADDIN? OK for sliding

= MA + Ma - Mp [Eqn. 57]
NlN = #ADDIN? Nm/m###

LN = #ADDIN? m == N lN
### lN [Eqn. 58]
WTotal
l1 = #ADDIN? m = N lN - [LCB / 2]u
=
### [Eqn. 59]
N'
For rectangular distribution of stress

e = #ADDIN? m ###
= l 1 - LCB
CB [Eqn. 60]
2
e/B = #ADDIN? = l 1 - [LCB / 2] [Eqn. 61]
=
###
LCB
Rectangular distribution of stress on the ground
==
qrect = #ADDIN? N/m² ### N' [Eqn. 62]
LCB - [2e]
Table of compatible units
Length Area Time Angle Mass Velocity Acceleration Force LDForce
Fundamental m m² s ° kg m/s m/s² kg.m/s² kg/s²
SI m m² s ° kg m/s m/s² N N/m
SI (mm) mm mm² s ° t mm/s mm/s² N N/mm
US Unit (ft) ft ft² s ° slug ft/s ft/s² lbf lbf.ft
US Unit (in) in in² s ° lbf.s²/in in/s in/s² lbf lbf.in
z(m) σh
0 #ADDIN?
-2 #ADDIN?
-2.5 #ADDIN?
Moment Work Energy Power Density Stress Unit Weight
Nm/m kg.m/s².m kg.m/s².m kg.m²/s³ kg/m³ kg/m.s² N/m³
Nm/m J J W kg/m³ N/m² N/m³
N.mm/mm mJ mJ mW t/mm³ MPa N/mm³
lbf.ft/ft ft.lb ft.lb ft.lb/s slug/ft³ lbf/ft² lbf/ft³
lbf.in/in in.lbf in.lbf in.lbf/s lbf.s²/in⁴ psi lbf/in³
x along length

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