CIV E 481 Geotechnical Engineering

TUTORIAL No. A7 & A8 : Earth Pressure and Retaining Walls

Question #1

It is planned to construct a retaining wall made of concrete. Two types of backfills are available.
The properties of the backfill are:

Clean sand fill Sand and Gravel fill

' = 34 2 ' = 36 2
t = 17.8 kN/m3 (above water table) t = 18.8 kN/m3 (above water table)
t = 19.8 kN/m3 (below water table) t = 20.8 kN/m3 (above water table)
= 18 = 18

Determine the Rankine active and passive earth pressure coefficients for each of the backfill
materials for the average and extreme values of '. Plot Rankine Ka and Kp versus ' for each
backfill on the same plot and comment on the variation and any differences.

Question #2

A proposed dock structure as shown below is to be built by sinking concrete caissons

using a pumped sand fill. Material properties have been estimated as:

Clean Sand Fill = 32 36

t = 17.8 kN/m3 above the ground water level
= 10.0 kN/m3 submerged
Silty Sand & Gravel Fill = 34 38
= 11.0 kN/m3 submerged
Wall Friction with Fill fill = 18
Base Friction base = 25
Avg. Unit Wt of Caisson = 22.3 kN/m3

Requirements:
1. Calculate the coefficients of active pressure and passive resistance for both fill
materials using both Rankine and Coulomb theories.

2. Comment on the differences between the two earth pressure theories.

3. Select the earth pressure coefficients that you would use in practice for this
exercise. State your reasons.
 4. Assume that the maximum surcharge loading on the ground behind the wall is
10 kPa. Find the required width of wall to satisfy:

a. Factor of safety of 1.5 against overturning;

b. No tension on the base (i.e. force resultant must lie within middle third);
c. Factor of safety of 1.5 against sliding on base;
d. Bearing pressure at toe does not exceed 400 kPa, assuming a linear
pressure distribution.

USE COULOMB EARTH PRESSURE COEFFICIENTS FOR YOUR CALCULATIONS!!

5. Present all requirements in an informative, orderly and logical manner. In a

short summary state your recommended design parameters and methods and
advisable width for the caisson.

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Question #3

Estimate the design horizontal loads for the girders, mezzanine and bottom slabs at an
LRT station at Jasper Avenue in Edmonton. A section through the station is given on
the sketch. The station is excavated entirely in till (stiff, fissured silty clay) which has
the following properties:

= 21 kN/m3
cu = 250 kPa

Question #4

An excavation will be 10 metres deep, through a soil profile consisting of:

05m sand = 34, = 20 kN/m3

5 15 m clay, soft, cu = 50 kPa, = 21 kN/m3

below 15 m gravel

The area surrounding the excavation carries a live load on the surface averaging
50 kPa. Determine the lateral earth pressure distribution for a strutted H pile wall.