04-04-2024

Coulomb’s earth pressure theory

• Coulomb (1776) proposed that a condition of limit equilibrium exists
through which a soil mass behind a vertical retaining wall will slip
along a plane inclined at an angle  to the horizontal.
Analysis and Design of Geotechnical Systems • He then determined the slip plane by searching for the plane on
which the maximum thrust acts.

What is limit equilibrium? Coulomb’s analysis

• Popular analytical method 1
• Select a plausible failure mechanism 𝑊 𝛾𝐻 cot 𝜃
2
• Determine the forces acting on the failure surface
• Use equilibrium equations to determine the unknown e.g. maximum thrust 𝑇 𝑁 tan 

• Soil assumed to be a homogeneous, rigid-plastic solid

• Key advantage: Simplicity Σ𝐹 𝑃 𝑇 cos 𝜃 𝑁 sin 𝜃 0
Σ𝐹 𝑊 𝑇 sin 𝜃 𝑁 cos 𝜃 0

1
𝑃 γ𝐻 cot θ tan 𝜃 𝜙
2

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Coulomb’s analysis Poncelet (1840) extension of Coulomb’s

analysis
• Includes wall friction, wall inclination, and backfill slope.

cos 𝜙 𝜂
𝐾
/
sin 𝜙 δ sin 𝜙 𝛽
cos 𝜂 cos 𝜂 𝛿 1
cos 𝜂 δ cos 𝜂 𝛽

• Find maximum thrust 𝜕𝑃 1

γ𝐻 cot 𝜃 sec 𝜃 𝜙 csc θ tan 𝜃 𝜙 0 cos 𝜙 𝜂
𝜕θ 2
𝐾
/
𝜙 sin 𝜙 𝛿 sin 𝜙 𝛽
𝜃 𝜃cr 45° cos 𝜂 cos 𝜂 𝛿 1
2 cos 𝜂 𝛿 cos 𝜂 𝛽

1 𝜙 1
𝑃 𝑃 γ𝐻 tan 45° 𝐾 γ𝐻
2 2 2

Wall friction, wall face inclination and backfill

Wall friction directions
slope sign convention
• The direction of the frictional
• The lateral forces are inclined at δ to force on the wall depends on
the normal on the sloping wall face. whether the wall moves relative
• The positive sign for δ,  and  are to the soil or the soil moves
shown in the figure. relative to the wall.
• In general, the active wedge
moves downward relative to the
wall and the passive wedge
moves upward relative to the
wall.

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Effects of wall friction Correction factors for passive pressures

/ʹ
• Wall friction causes the slip planes in both the active and passive
states to be curved. ʹ −0.7 −0.6 −0.5 −0.4 −0.3 −0.2 −0.1 0.0

• The curvature in the active case is small in comparison to the passive 15 0.96 0.93 0.91 0.88 0.85 0.83 0.80 0.78
case. 20 0.94 0.90 0.86 0.82 0.79 0.75 0.72 0.68
• Implication: 25 0.91 0.86 0.81 0.76 0.71 0.67 0.62 0.57
• KaC and KpC from Poncelet’s equations are not accurate. In particular, the 30 0.88 0.81 0.75 0.69 0.63 0.57 0.52 0.47
passive earth pressures are overestimated.
35 0.84 0.75 0.67 0.60 0.54 0.48 0.42 0.36
• For the active state, the error is small and can be neglected.
• The error for the passive state is small if δ < ʹ/3. In practice, δ is generally 40 0.78 0.68 0.59 0.51 0.44 0.38 0.32 0.26
greater than ʹ/3.

• Factor of safety against translation:

STABILITY OF RIGID RETAINING WALLS
the sliding resistance at the base
𝐹 1.5
the lateral force pushing against the wall

• ESA: 𝑇 𝑅 tan 
where Rz is the resultant vertical force,  is the interfacial friction angle
between the base of the wall and the soil and   to 
B is the projected horizontal width of the base.

𝑊 𝑊 𝑃 cos 𝜃 𝑃 sin 𝜃 tan 

𝐹
𝑃 cos 𝜃 𝑊 𝑊 𝑃 sin 𝜃
Figure. Forces on rigid retaining walls

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• TSA: 𝑇 𝑠 𝐵 • Factor of safety against Rotation:

𝑠 𝐵/ cos 𝜃 𝑊 𝑥 𝑊𝑥 𝑃 𝑥 𝑃 𝑧̅
𝐹 𝑥̅
𝑃 cos 𝜃 𝑊 𝑊 𝑃 sin 𝜃 𝑊 𝑊 𝑃 cos 𝜃 𝑃 sin 𝜃

• where, where, 𝑧̅ is the location of the active lateral earth force from the toe.
𝑠 0.5𝑠 or 𝑠 50 kPa (active case) The rotation of the wall about its toe is satisfied if the resultant vertical force lies
within the middle third of the base.
𝑠 0.5𝑠 or 𝑠 25 kPa (passive case)
• The wall is safe against rotation if 𝐵⁄3 𝑥̅ 2𝐵/3; that is 𝑒 𝐵⁄2 𝑥̅ 𝐵⁄6
• Here e is the eccentricity of the resultant vertical load and
𝑥̅ 𝑥̅ cos 𝜃

Bearing capacity
• A rigid retaining wall must have a sufficient margin of safety against
Numerical Problem-1
soil-bearing capacity failure.
• The maximum pressure imposed on the soil at the base of the wall • Determine the stability of the
must not exceed the allowable soil bearing capacity, i.e. concrete gravity wall shown in
Figure.
𝜎 𝑞

where 𝜎 is the maximum vertical stress imposed and qa is the

allowable soil bearing capacity.
cos 𝜙 𝜂
𝐾
/
sin 𝜙 δ sin 𝜙 𝛽
cos 𝜂 cos 𝜂 𝛿 1
cos 𝜂 δ cos 𝜂 𝛽

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Disclaimer
• If there is any confusion in this note then what is discussed in the
class will be considered only.