PROBLEMS:

1. A sand backfill of depth 6m is retained by a retaining wall with a smooth

vertical back. The surface of the backfill is horizontal and has the following
properties:

=
c ' 0,=
' 300=
; 15kN / m3 ; =
20kN / m3
sat
calculate the magnitude of the total thrust against the wall for the conditions
given below:
a) Backfill fully drained with the top of the wall restrained against against
yielding; b) the wall is free to yield with fully drained backfill, and c) wall free
to yield, water table at 3m depth and there is no drainage. Determine the
point of application of the resultant thrust for the case (c).
2. The following figure shows a 5m high retaining wall. Determine the depth
of tension crack and the Rankine active pressure on the wall, a) before the
formation of crack, b) after the formation of the crack.

A
B
5m

=30
=15kN/m3
c=5 kN/m3

3. The following

figure shows a three layered bakfill behind a 15m high

retaining wall with a smooth vertical back. Draw the active pressure
distribution.

H1=5m

H2=5m

H3=5m

Layer

(kN/m3)

c (kN/m3)

20

35

16

20

25

16

35

4. Determine the Coulomb active force on the retaining wall shown in the
following figure.

i
Pa

5m

i=20
=30
=20
= 2o kN/m3
=75

5. Determine the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing, 1.5m wide, with
its base at a depth of 1m, resting on a sand stratum if the ground water
table is located a) at a depth of 0.5m below the ground surface, b) at a depth
of

0.5m

below

the

base

of

the

footing.

Take

d =17 kN/m3 , sat =20 kN/m3 , =38o and c' =0. Use Terzaghis theory.
6. A chimney, with a rigid base 2.5m square, is placed at a depth of 1m
below the ground surface. The soil is clay with an unconfined compressive
strength of 60 kN/ m 2 and unit weight of

20 kN/ m3 . The weight of the

chimney is 60 kN. The chimney has a resultant wind load of 19.5 kN acting
parallel to one of the sides of the chimney base at a height of 1.5m above
the ground surface. Determine the factor of safety with respect to bearing
capacity. Use Meyerhofs recommendations.

SOLUTIONS:
1. (a) If the wall is restrained against yielding, the lateral pressure that
would develop against the wall would be earth pressure at rest.
coefficient of earth pressure at rest K0 can be calculated from the equation

K 0 = 1 - sin '
Hence, K 0 = 0.53
For this case, = 15 kN/ m3
Lateral pressure, p 0 = K 0 z
At z = 6m, p0 = 47.7kN/ m 2
Total thrust per meter length of the wall is

p0 = 143.1 kN
(b) For this case again, = 15 kN/ m3 , but the lateral pressure is the active
earth pressure. ' =
280 ; K A =
(1 sin ) /(1 + sin ) =
0.36

pA = K A z
at z = 6m,
and

p A = 32.4 kN/ m 2
p A = 97.2 kN/m length

(c) Above the water table, = 15 kN/ m 2 and below the water table,

= ' = sat - w =10.2 kN/m3

The lateral thrust due to water is found to be 44.1 kN.
The solutions are given in the following figure.

3m

24.3kN

GWT

3m

48.6kN

4m
2m

1m

16.5kN

44.1kN

Retaining wall and pressure distribution diagram

2. Here, K A = 0.333

pa =
K A z 2c ' K A =
5 z 5.77
At top, Z = 0, pa = -5.77 kN/ m 2
At point B, where pa = 0.0,
At bottom, Z = 5m,

Hence, Z = 1.15m

pa = 19.23 kN/ m 2

Before formation of crack

Negative pressure,

p1 = 3.32 kN

Positive pressure,

p2 = 37.02 kN

Net pressure,

pa = 33.69 kN

Line of action of Pa is determined by taking moments about C, which comes

out to be
Z = 0.96m
After formation of crack
After the formation of crack, the negative pressure is eliminated. The
pressure distribution is given by the area bcd.

pa = 37.02 kN, it will act at a height of 3.85/3 m above the base.

3. Layer 1: (c = 0 soil) K A = 0.27

z = 0; vertical pressure pv = 0

p A = K A pv = 0
z = 5m; pv = 100 kN/ m 2

p A = 27 kN/ m 2
Layer 2: (c - soil)

K A = 0.41
z = 5m; pv = 100 kN/ m 2

p A = K A pv - 2c K A = 15.4 kN/ m 2
z = 10m; pv = 100 + 16 x 5 = 180 kN/ m 2

p A = 48.19 kN/ m 2
K A = 1 ( u = 0 soil)

Layer 3:

5m

z = 10m; pv = 180 kN/ m 2

15.4

27

p A = pv 2c u = 110 kN/ m 25m

110

z = 15m; pv = 260 kN/ m 2

p A = 190 kN/ m 2

48.2
5m

Earth pressure diagram

4. We know,

Ka =

sin 2 ( + ')

sin ( '+ ) sin ( ' i )

sin 2 sin ( )1 +

sin ( ) sin ( + i )

K a = 0.619.
Hence, Pa = K a H 2 = 154.81 kN.
This will act at a height of 5/3 m and inclined to 20 to normal in the
direction shown.

5. =
qu qN q + 0.5 BN , where q is the effective surcharge and is the effective
unit weight of the soil beneath the footing.
(a) q is calculated by assuming the unit weight to the top 0.5m soil to be
unchanged, that is, 17 kN/m3 while the remaining 0.5m is submerged unit
weight equal to 10 kN/ m3
Thus

q = 0.5 X 17 + 0.5 X 10 = 13.5kN / m 2

In the second part, = =' 10kN / m 2

qu =
13.5 X 60 + 0.5 X 10 X 1.5 X 75 =
1372.5kN / m 2
compared with qu = 1976 kN/ m 2 when thee was no effect of water table.
(b) For this case, q = 17 kN/ m 2
in the term 0.5 BN , is given by

=
'+ ( D 'w / B)( t )
D 'w 0.5
m, t 17 kNm3 =
and t 10kN / m3
=
=

= 12.3kN / m3
hence,

qu = 1711.9kN / m 2

6. The horizontal wind load will have the effect of introducing both inclination
and eccentricity of loading. The resultant of the wind load and weight force
will be inclined at an angle to the vertical.

tan =

horizontal wind force 19.5

=
= 0.325, ( = 18)
60
vertical wind force

Height of the horizontal load above the base = 1.5 + 1 = 2.5m. Eccentricity
of the resultant load, e can be calculated from,
e / 2.5 = tan = 0.325
e = 0.81m
Reduced dimension B on account of eccentricity of loading is given by

B ' =B 2ex =0.88m

=
A ' B=
' L 0.88 X =
2.5 2.2m 2
For

=0, N c 5.14, N q =1, N =0, tan(45 + / 2 _ =1)

sc =
1 + 0.2 B '/ L tan 2 (45 + / 2)
= 1.07

sq = 1
dc =
1 + 0.2 D / B ' tan(45 + / 2)
= 1.23

dq = 1
ic =
iq =
(1 / 90) =
0.64
hence from the known equation of qu we get,

qu =+
cN c sc d c ic qN q sq d q iq since N =
0
cu = 60/2 = 30 kN/ m 2
qu = 142.7 kN/ m 2
Qu = qu A ' = 142.7 x 2.2 = 314 kN.
Factor of safety = 314 / 60 = 5.2