Design example of a sheet pile retaining wall using the global factor of safety and

the Eurocode 7 approaches.

Problem: A cantilever sheet pile wall supporting a 3.5m deep excavation in dry sand
(
dry
= 15.3!m
"3
# = 35# c= $% is to be constructed. &etermine the re'uired depth o(
embedment
1. )y using the global (overall% (actor o( sa(ety method.
*. )y using the +urocode method.
,or both methods the same mechanism o( (ailure is assumed (see the diagram below%.
-he sheet pile rotates about a point . above the end o( the sheet piling. Above point
. an active stress state is assumed on the unexcavated side# and passive on the other.
-he stress state above point . is analysed with the (orces below . being represented
by a hori/ontal (orce 0 acting through .. -he sheet pile wall above . is analysed by
taing moments about .# hence 0 can be ignored. -his enables the depth (rom the
excavated sur(ace to . (d
$
% to be (ound and then the (ull embedment depth is d
$
x1.*.
!ext the embedment depth can be checed to ensure that su((icient (orces can be
mobilised below . to ensure e'uilibrium.
-o carry out the analysis the (irst stage is to (ind the hori/ontal stress pro(iles# then the
hori/ontal (orces# then the moments to (ind d
$.
1n the examples below the (inal
hori/ontal (orce chec is not undertaen but generally would be carried out.
1. 2lobal ,actor o( 3a(ety Approach.
Area 1 is active4 area * is passive. Assume the material parameters given are typical
design values.
d
e
= 3.5m.
5
a
=(1 " sin%6(17sin% = (1"sin35%6(17sin35% = $.*81
5
p
= 165
a
= 3.9:$
O
d
e
d
$
1
*
0
;ori/ontal active e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
a
.
dry
./ = (3.5 7 d
$
%x15.3x$.*81
;ori/ontal passive e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
p
.
dry
./ = d
$
x15.3x3.9:$
Area ,orce <ever arm above .
1 $.5x(3.5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.*81 (3.5 7 d
$
%63
* $.5x d
$
*
x15.3x3.9:$61.5= d
$
63
=!ote: the 1.5 in the (orce (or area * is the applied (actor o( sa(ety used in this method
o( analysis.
+'uate moments about .
Active moment = Passive moment
($.5x(3.5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.*81%x((3.5 7 d
$
%63% = ($.5x d
$
*
x15.3x3.9:$61.5%x(d
$
63%
;ence d
$
= 3.**m
-here(ore depth o( embedment = d = 1.*x3.** = 3.>9m
<ength o( sheet piling = 3.>9 7 3.5$ = 8.39m
*. +urocode 8 Approach.
?se &esign Approach 1 and @ombination 1 and *
@ombination 1 A1 7 A1 7 01
@ombination * A* 7 A* 7 01
,or the +@8 method it is usual to assume an over"excavation o( 1$B o( the excavated
depth to a maximum o( $.5m.
Partial (actors: A1 A*
Permanent Action#
2#dst
1.35 1.$
A1 A*
tan#

1.$ 1.*5
(unit weight%#

1.$ 1.$
01
0
e
(earth resistance%#
0e
1.$
Assume the material parameters given are characteristic values (%.
Assume excavation depth = 3.5 7 $.1x3.5 = 3.>5m
@ombination 1.

des
= tan
"1
((tan

%6

%

= tan
"1
((tan35%61% = 35

dry#des
=
dry#
6

= 15.3!m
"3
-here(ore 5
a
and 5
p
as be(ore. 2eneral stress distribution as above# but the values
will change as the excavation depth is di((erent and the partial (actors are used:
;ori/ontal active e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
a
./.
dry
= (3.>5 7 d
$
%x15.3x$.*81
;ori/ontal passive e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
p
./.
dry
= d
$
x15.3x3.9:$
Area ,orce <ever arm above .
1 $.5x(3.>5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.*81x
2#dst
(3.>5 7 d
$
%63
* $.5x d
$
*
x15.3x3.9:$6
0e
d
$
63
+'uate moments about .
Passive moment = Active moment
($.5x(3.>5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.*81 x1.35%x((3.>5 7 d
$
%63% =
($.5x d
$
*
x15.3x3.9:$61.$%x(d
$
63% 61
;ence d
$
= 3.3*m
-here(ore depth o( embedment = d = 1.*x3.3* = 3.:>m
<ength o( sheet piling = 3.:> 7 3.>5 = 8.>3m
@ombination *.

des
= tan
"1
((tan

%6

= tan
"1
((tan35%61.*5% = *:

dry#des
=
dry#
6

= 15.3!m
"3
-here(ore 5
a
= $.3C8 and 5
p
= *.>>*. 2eneral stress distribution as above# but the
values will change as the excavation depth is di((erent and the partial (actors are used:
;ori/ontal active e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
a
./.
dry
= (3.>5 7 d
$
%x15.3x$.3C8
;ori/ontal passive e((ective stress at .

h
= 5
p
./.
dry
= d
$
x15.3x*.>>*
Area ,orce <ever arm above .
1 $.5x(3.>5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.3C8x
2#dst
(3.>5 7 d
$
%63
* $.5x d
$
*
x15.3x*.>>*6
0e
d
$
63
+'uate moments about .
Passive moment = Active moment
($.5x(3.>5 7 d
$
%
*
x15.3x$.3C8 x1%x((3.>5 7 d
$
%63% =
($.5x d
$
*
x15.3x*.>>*61.$%x(d
$
63% 61
;ence d
$
= 3.89m
-here(ore depth o( embedment = d = 1.*x3.89 = C.51m
<ength o( sheet piling = C.51 7 3.>5 = >.39m
-here(ore# by the +@8 method the critical length is >.39m.
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
!otes:
,or anchored6propped sheet pile walls similar methods are used and the lateral (orce
chec is undertaen to give the tie6prop (orce.
1n the case above with a dry sand the stress distributions are simple. 1n the case o(
layered soils# water tables# sur(ace surcharges etc. the same general method is used
but the stress pro(ile will be more complicated. 1( the water level is the same on each
side o( the wall# then the pore water pressure will need to be considered in calculating
the e((ective stresses# but the e((ect o( the water (orce moments can be ignored as they
are assumed to cancel out.
-he method used (or the cantilever wall analysis above is a simple one and an
alternative method is to consider moment and hori/ontal e'uilibrium simultaneously
with two unnowns# i.e. the depth (rom the excavated sur(ace to the point o( rotation
and the depth (rom the point o( rotation to the base o( the pile. -he resulting cubic
e'uations can be solved (or the two unnowns.