RETAINING WALLS

RETAINING WALL

 Basic function – to
retain soil at a slope
which is greater than
it would naturally
assume, usually at a
vertical or near
vertical position
 Retaining wall failure at the Shin-Kang Dam
Types of Retaining wall

Conventional Sheet pile Mechanically

retaining walls walls stabilized earth walls

Gravity

Semi Gravity

Cantilever

Counterfort
Types of Retaining wall
Conventional retaining
walls
Types of Retaining wall

Conventional retaining
walls
Geometry of Gravity and cantilever walls
 Stability of Retaining Walls

Overturning Sliding
 Stability of Retaining Walls

Bearing capacity Deep seated shear

failure failure
Check the stability in term of overturning
- Cantilever retaining wall
Min FS overturning= 2 - 3

FSoverturning 
 MR
1  Mo
Moment about point C

2  M R  M1  M 2  M 3  M 4

 H 
 M o  Ph  
3  3 
Ph  Pa cos 
4
M1  M 2  M 3  M 4
FSoverturning 
 
Pa cos  H
3
Check the stability in term of overturning
- gravity retaining wall

FSoverturning 
 MR
1  Mo
Moment about point C

2  M R  M1  M 2  M3 
M 4  M5  M6
 H 
3  o h 
M  P
 3 
Ph  Pa cos 
4
M1  M 2  M3  M 4  M5  M6
FSoverturning 
 
Pa cos  H
3
Check the stability in term of overturning
- gravity retaining wall
Sliding Check

FSsliding 
 FR
1
 Fd

2  FR    V  tan   Bca  Pp

3  Fd  Pa cos 

4
  V  tan   Bca  Pp
FSsliding 
Pa cos 
 Sliding Check Fail, what to do?

Min FS sliding = 1.5

1. Use Anchor

4. Use the lightweight

backfill material

2. Increase the
width of the base
slab

3. Use a key to the

base slab. The
passive pressure will
increase
 Bearing capacity Check

Min FS bearing capacity =3

Strip
1 q max  toe  V 1  6e 
Foundation min q heel   
B  B

q u  c2 N c Fcd Fci  qN q Fqd Fqi 

2 0.5 2 BN  Fd Fi

3 qu
FS Bearing capacity  
qmax
 Example
Calculate the factors of safety with respect to overturning,
sliding and bearing capacity. Use concrete = 24 kN/m3
 Mechanically stabilized retaining wall

o The reinforce material such as metallic strip, geotextiles, geogrids and

geocomposite are use to reinforce the backfill of retaining wall are
Mechanically stabilized retaining wall.

Metal strips Geotextile Geogrid

Mechanically stabilized retaining wall
-General design considerations

Stability Check

Internal stability External stability

 Tension resistance  Overturning

 Pullout resistance  Sliding
 Bearing Capacity
 Retaining wall with metallic strip
reinforcement

Main Component
 Backfill
 Reinforcing strip
 Cover or skin
 Design procedure
Refer to Example 8.5

 Calculate the tie thickness

 aSVSH   FS B 
t design  FS(B) =2.5 – 3.0
wf y

t c  t design  r  life span of structure 

 Calculate the tie length

L
 H  z 
FS P  1 zK a SVSH
FS(P) =2.5 – 3.0
   2w1 z tan  '
tan  45  
 2
 Design procedure
Refer to Example 8.5

 Check for overturning

W1x1
FS overturning   H
  0 a dz  z
 
 Check for sliding

 W1  W2  ....qa    tan  k1  

FS sliding  
Pa
 Check for bearing capacity

qult
FS bearing capacity   q ult  c2 N c  0.5 2 L 2 N
o H 
Types of Retaining wall
Sheet pile

Wooden
sheet pile

Precast
concrete

Steel sheet
pile

Aluminium
sheet pile
 Sheet Piles

Construction methods Backfilled structure

Backfill to the
4
top of the wall

Dredge the in Drive the sheet

situ soil pile
3

Backfill up to the
level of anchor
 Sheet Piles

Construction methods Dredge structure

Dredge the soil in

4
the front of pile

Drive the Backfill up to the

sheet pile level of anchor
3

Backfill to the top

of the wall
Design of Cantilever Sheet
Piles
In Sandy Soils

L6m

Actual pressure distribution Simplified pressure

 Design of Cantilever Sheet
Piles
In Sandy Soils

For pile stability,

you have to
know what is
the depth of
embedment of
sheet pile, D
Design of Cantilever Sheet
Piles
In Sandy Soils
Design of Cantilever Sheet
Piles
In Sandy Soils
 2
K a  tan 2 45  
L44  A1L34  A 2 L24  A3L 4  A 4  0
 tan  45   
2

 
Kp
2 4  5  L 4 K p  K a
2
L3 

 K p  K a  
3  L 4 K p  K a 
5   L1   L 2  K p  L3 K p  K a  L5 
3 L 4  2P
A1 
5 3  4

 K p  K a 
8P
A2 

 K p  K a 
A3   
6P  2z K p  K a  5 
 
 
2
 2 K p  K a

P  6z5  4P 
A4 
 
2
 2 K p  K a
Design of Cantilever Sheet
Piles
Redo Example 9.1

Sand
1m  = 18 kN/m3
’ = 30°
c’ = 0
What is the
theoretical depth
Sand of pile
5m sat = 20 kN/m3 embedment, D?
’ = 30°
c’ = 0

Sand
sat = 22 kN/m3
’ = 30°
c’ = 0
Design of retaining wall

 retaining walls have primary function of retaining

soils at an angle in excess of the soil’s nature angle of
repose.
 Walls within the design height range are designed to
provide the necessary resistance by either their own
mass or by the principles of leverage.
 Design consideration:
1. Overturning of the wall does not occur
2. Forward sliding does not occur
3. Materials used are suitable
4. The subsoil is not overloaded
 NFactors which designer need to take
a account
t
u
r
e

a
n
d

c
h
a
r
a
c
t
 Failure of retaining wall (dam) due to water pressure..
 Types of walls

• Mass retaining walls

• Cantilever walls
• Counterfort retaining
walls
• Precast concrete
retaining walls
• Precast concrete crib-
retaining walls
 S Mass retaining walls
o
m
e
t
i
m
e
s

c
a
l
l
e
d

g
Typical example of mass retaining
walls

BRICK MASS RETAINING WALL

 Brick retaining
wall

Stone retaining wall

Typical example of mass retaining
walls

MASS CONCRETE RETAINING WALL

WITH STONE FACINGS
Cantilever walls

 Usually of reinforced concrete and work on the

principle of leverage where the stem is designed as a
cantilever fixed at the base and the base is designed
as a cantilever fixed at the stem
 Economic height range of 1.2 m to 6 m using pre-
stressing techniques
 Any durable facing material can be applied to the
surface to improve appearance of the wall
Cantilever wall
 T
w
o

b
a
s
i
c

f
o
r
m
s
:
- Cantilever T Cantilever L
• A
Cantilever walls
 C
a Counterfort retaining walls
n

b
e

c
o
n
s
t
r
u
c
t
e
d
 Precast concrete retaining wall

 Manufactured from high-grade pre cast concrete on the

cantilever principle.
 Can be erected on a foundation as permanent retaining wall or
be free standing to act as dividing wall between heaped
materials which it can increase three times the storage volume
for any given area
 Other advantages- reduction in time by eliminating curing
period, cost of formwork, time to erect and dismantle the
temporary forms
 Lifting holes are provided which can be utilized for fixing if
required
application
Precast concrete retaining walls
Pre cast concrete crib-retaining walls

 Designed on the principle of mass retaining walls

 A system of pre cast concrete or treated timber
components comprising headers and stretchers which
interlock to form a 3 dimensional framework or crib of
pre cast concrete timber units within which soil is
retained
 Constructed with a face batter between 1:6 and 1:8
 Subsoil drainage is not required since the open face
provides adequate drainage.