Stability of Cantilever Retaining Walls

Abdulrahman Alhabshi

Units

Texas Tech University

Prepared by

Abdulrahman Alhabshi

Date
Identification

November 22, 2014

Cantilever Retaining Wall with 500 psf Surcharge

ft
psf
pcf
lbs
lbs-ft
ft2
lbs/ft
g conc

qs = 500
Input Data
Units of Measurement
Wall
Stem height
Footing thickness
Include
Footing embedment, D
Stem thickness - top
Stem thickness - bottom
Toe extension, btoe
Heel extension, bh
Base Length, B
Backfill angle, b
Surcharge Load
qs
Base Key ?

Backfill Soil
g Fill
f' Fill
c' Fill
Earth Pressure Theory
Ka
Pa = 0.5 KagH' 2
Pqs = (qsKa) H
Natural Soil at Base
g Soil

20
2
6
1
1
7
9
17
0
Yes
500
No
1

ft
ft
ft
ft
ft
ft

H' = 22
H = 20

Pqs
Pa

ft
ft
deg

3,333
8,067

4
h

Bt = 7

150

Fill
Ka
Simple Rankine
0.333
Coulomb
0.333
Rankine with backslope
0.577

Kp
3.000
3.000
2.909

0.333
22.00
0.00
Include
Do Not Include

3.000

H' =
H3 =
Yes
No
qs =

500

psf

Bh = 9

B = 17
100 pcf
30 deg
0 psf
Simple Rankine
0.333
8,067 lbs/ft
3,333 lbs/ft

100 pcf

f' soil

30 deg

c' Soil

0 psf

Allowable bearing pressure, qall

3000 psf

d
0

Reduce
No

k = 2/3
ckB
SV tan k f

0.7
0.0
15068.8

Kp = tan2 (45+f/2)

3.00

Pkey = 0.5 Kpgh2

150

D=
PD = 0.5 KpgD2

2c sqrt(Kp) D
Pp

5400.0
0.0
5400.0

1.0

0
5400.0

Forces & Moments

Resisting Moment
Overturning Moment
Net Moment
Rz = SV + qs(Bh)
Pp = Pkey + PpD

290,850
88,356
202,494
30,600

Vertical Forces
Element
Area
ft2
1
180
2
20

lbs-ft
lbs-ft
lbs-ft
lbs

Weight Mom. Arm Moment

lbs
ft
lbs-ft
18,000.0
12.50
225,000.0
3,000.0
7.50
22,500.0

5,400 lbs/ft

0.0

7.00

0.0

SFR = SV tanf + Bc+Pp+Pkey

20,469 lbs/ft

34

5,100.0

8.50

43,350.0

SFSliding = Ph + Ph qs

11,400 lbs/ft

Results
Sliding
Overturning
Resultant Location, x = MNet/Rz

FS =
FS =
x=

1.80
3.29
6.62

e = |B/2 - x|
e=
1.88
B/6
=
2.83
Ok, e < B/6 - Resultant located in the middle third

OK
OK
ft
ft
ft

Check Bearing Capcity

q max = (Rz/A)(1+(6e/B))

2,996

psf

q min = (Rz/A)(1-(6e/B))
Bearing pressure OK?

604
Yes

psf

SV

26,100.0

SMR

290,850.0

Horizontal Forces
Pa
Pqs
PpD
Pkey

8,066.7
3,333.3
-5,400.0
0.0

59,155.6
40,000.0
-10,800.0
0.0

SFd

6,000.0

7.33
12.00
2.00
0.50
SMo

88,355.6

Backfill Soil
Rankines's Earth Pressure
f'

30

KaR

KpR

1-sinf'
1+sinf'
KaR

0.500
1.500
0.333

1-sinf'
1+sinf'

0.500
1.500

KaR

Coulomb's Earth Pressure

f'
d
h
b

30
0
0
0

KaC

KpC

cos2(f'-h)
cos(h+d)
cos2h
sin(f'+d)
sin(f'-b)
cos(h+d)
cos(h-b)

KaC =

cos2(f'+h)
cos(h-d)
cos2h
sin(f'+d)
sin(f'+b)
cos(h-d)
cos(h-b)

0.750
1.000
1.000
0.500
0.500
1.000
1.000

0.333

KpC =

0.750
1.000
1.000
0.500
0.500
1.000
1.000

3.000

Rankines's Earth Pressure For a Sloping Backfill and a Sloping Wall Face
f'
h
b
qa

30
0
0
60.00

KaR

qp

30.00

qa
cos(b-h)
sin2f'
sin f'
cos qa

sinb
sinf'

cos2h
cos b
sin2b

KaR

KpR
0.000
0.500
60.000
1.000
0.250
0.500
0.500
1.000
1.000
0.000

0.577

sinb
sinf'
qp
cos(b-h)
sin2f'
sin f'
cos qp
cos2h
cos b
sin2b

KpR =

0.000
0.500
30.000
1.000
0.250
0.500
0.866
1.000
1.000
0.000

2.909

Stem Desing of a Retaining Wall

Flexural Reinforcement
Top Stem Thickness
Bottom Stem Thickness
Stem Height
Clear Cover
g
Ka
fy
fc

1
1
20
3
100
0.333
60
4

0.00
1.47 As
500 psf

Mu

Vu

As

(in)
9
9
9
9
9
9

(lbs-ft/ft)
0.0
1,360.0
7,857.8
23,120.0
50,773.3
94,444.4

lbs
0.0
1,020.0
2,946.7
5,780.0
9,520.0
14,166.7

(in2)
0.000
0.003
0.016
0.048
0.105
0.198

Mu, ft-lbs
Vu, lbs
Thousands
0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

0
2
4
6

Depth, z (ft)

in

ksi
ksi

Thichness
of stem
(ft)
1
1
1
1
1
1

(ft)
0
4
8
12
16
20

a
a=
qs =

ft
ft
ft
in
pcf

10
12
14
16
18

20
Mu

Vu

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

As min
0.0018bh
(in2)
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259

As
(in2)
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259
0.259