Design of sheet pile walls on granular soil

S.N Description Qty Unit Remarks

1 Input Parameters
Height of backfill above the dredge line, H= 6m
Height of water table above the dredge line, h= 3.5 m

2 Soil Properties
Assumption: Same soil properties above and
below dredge line
Moist Unit weight , γ 18 kN/m3
Submerged Unit weight, γb 10 kN/m3 Note: γb=γ-γwater
Internal angle of friction, ɸ 32 degrees

3 Output Parameters
The depth of the embedment of sheet pile 7m
 S.N Description Qty Unit
1 Input Parameters 0
Height of backfill above the dredge line, H= 6m
Height of water table above the dredge line, h= 3.5 m
Height of water table below the top of sheet pile= 2.5 m

2 Soil Properties: 0
Assumption: Same soil properties above and below
dredge line 0
Moist Unit weight , γ= 18 kN/m3
Submerged Unit weight, γb= 10 kN/m3
Internal angle of friction, ɸ= 32 degrees
Internal angle of friction, ɸ= 0.5585 radians

3 Earth pressure coefficients

Active earth pressure coefficient, Ka= 0.307
Passive Earth Pressure coefficientf, Kp= 3.257

4 Earth Pressure from top of sheet pile wall @

@ 2.5 m 13.82 kN/m2
@ 6 m, on the dredge line 24.57 kN/m2
�=𝑃_𝐴/(𝛾_𝑏 (𝐾𝑝 −𝐾�))
5 Distance of zero pressure below the dredge line, a= 0.83 m
Slope of the line joining Pa and Pp1 = 29.5

6 Forces
Resultant of all forces above the zero pressure point, Ra= 94.65 kN/m
Point of application of resultant Ra,�  = 2.72 m

Depth of Dredge line, D=a+y

7 Assume Depth of Dredge line, D= 6.6979 m
D=a+y; Therefore , y=D-a 5.8679 m

Pressure extrapolated from the point o, Pp1 = Slope*dist. 173.1 kN/m2

Passive Pressure due to backfill -Active pressure due to
soil below dredge line =PP2 = 458.15 kN/m2
�=(𝑃_𝑃1 � −2𝑅_�)/(𝑃_𝑃1+𝑃_𝑃2 )
1.31 m

Check, Taking moments about the base of sheet pile and

satifying the condition of equilibrium, Σ Moments = 0
 0.00

Adopt the Depth of Pile Penetration = 7m

 Remarks

Note: γb=γ-γwater

Ka=(1-sinɸ)/(1+sinɸ)
Kp=1/Ka

On the water table line

On the dredge line
�=𝑃_𝐴/(𝛾_𝑏 (𝐾𝑝 −𝐾�))

Σ moments about point O= 0

Σ horizontal forces=0
Goal seek reference