3.

Earth Pressure and Retaining Structures

The magnitude of lateral earth pressure depends on:
1. Shear strength characteristics of soil
2. Lateral strain condition
3. Pore water pressure
4. State of Equilibrium of soil
5. Wall and ground surface shape
Previous conditions depends mainly on:
a) Drainage conditions
b) Interaction between soil and wall

3.1 Types of Earth Pressure

On earth retaining structures such as retaining wall, sheet piles, etc., the back fill retained mass of soil, exerts lateral
pressure known as earth pressure. If the positions of the back fill lies above a horizontal plane at the elevation of the
top of the structure, it is called surcharge. The inclination of the surcharge to the horizontal is called surcharge angle.
The magnitude of the lateral earth pressure depends upon the movement of the retaining wall relative to the back
fill and also upon the type of the soil.

TYPES OF EARTH PRESSURE

Lateral earth pressure may be one of the following 3 types.

1. Active earth pressure

2. Passive earth pressure
3. Earth pressure at rest

1. ACTIVE EARTH PRESSURE

Due to excessive pressure of the retained soil, the retaining wall tends to move away from the back fill. Consequently
a certain portion of the back fill located immediately behind the retaining wall, gets separated from the rest of the
soil mass and hence the earth pressure on the retaining wall decreases. The wedged shaped portion of the back fill
tending to move with the wall, is called the failure wedge. The retaining wall is kept in equilibrium by resisting force
developed due to shear strength of the soil along the plane of the failure wedge in a direction away from the
retaining wall. There is a limit within which the retaining wall may move from the back fill, thereby limiting the
pressure. The minimum pressure exerted by the soil on the retaining wall, is called Active Earth Pressure.

2. PASSIVE EARTH PRESSURE

Whenever the retaining wall moves towards the back fill due to any natural cause, the earth pressure increases
because the retaining soil gets compressed and the resulting shearing strength develops along the plane of the
failure wedge in direction towards the retaining wall. The pressure reaches a maximum limit when the shearing
resistance of the soil has been fully mobilized. The maximum earth pressure due to maximum shear stress on the
retaining wall is called Passive Earth Pressure.

Active and passive earth pressure

3. EARTH PRESSURE AT REST

We know that active earth pressure is accompanied by the movement of the retaining wall away from the back fill
and passive earth pressure is accompanied by the movement of the retaining wall towards the back fill. Thus, there
occurs an intermediate situation when the retaining wall does not move due to earth pressure but remains perfectly
stationary. The pressure which develops due to back fill at zero movement is called Earth Pressure at Rest. Its value
is higher than limiting active pressure but less than the passive pressure.

Should at-rest, active or passive soil pressure be used in the design of abutment?

At-rest soil pressure is developed during the construction of bridge abutment. Active soil pressure are developed
when the abutment are pushed forward by backfilled soils at the back of abutment wall. A state of equilibrium shall
be reached when the at-rest pressure is reduced to active earth pressure. Hence, at-rest pressure is considered when
assessing the stability of abutment while active pressure is adopted when assessing the adequacy of structural
elements of abutment.

Passive pressure is only considered in integral abutment which experiences passive pressure when the deck expands
under thermal effects.

Passive pressures are developed when the abutment wall pushes the soils at the front of abutment. Given that larger
movements is required to mobilize passive pressure than active pressure and the abutment is designed not to slide
under active pressure, it is normally assumed that passive pressure does not develop at the front of abutment.
Moreover, there is a possibility that soils may be removed temporarily owing to utility diversion; it is normally
assumed that stability contribution by soils in front of abutment is ignored.
3.2 Steady state equilibrium and earth pressure at elastic and plastic equilibrium

Soil state of Equilibrium

The state of Equilibrium of soil can be divided into two states:
a) State of Elastic Equilibrium
When a small change in stress produces a corresponding small change in strain.
b) State of Plastic Equilibrium
When irreversible strain takes place at a constant stress.

3.3 Active and passive conditions

3.4 Modified failure envelop of line

3.5 Rankine state of plastic equilibrium

3.6 Strains associated with rankine’s states

The strain state relating to earth pressure calculation fall into three categories:
a) At Rest State:
It is the case when state of elastic Equilibrium with no lateral displacement occurs (Figure 1).

b) Active state:
It is the case when plastic equilibrium with lateral expansion takes place (wall moves outward from the soil).
(Figure 2).
c) Passive state
Plastic equilibrium with lateral contraction takes place (wall moves toward the soil). (Figure 2)

3.7 Local state of plastic equilibrium, deformation and boundary condition.

3.8 Rankine’s earth pressure theory

3.9 Active earth pressure on cohesion less backfill

3.10 Active and passive earth pressure on backfill

3.11 Active thrust by trial wedges and limitations of the method

3.12 Influence of wall friction

3.13 Coulomb’s earth pressure theory and its graphical solution

3.14 Limitations of Coulomb’s wedge theory

3.15 Selection of soil parameters for earth pressure computations

3.16 Stability analysis of an earth retaining structure