Example JRC-07

Anchored sheet pile wall

Verification of drained strength (limit state GEO)
Design Approach 1
Design situation
Consider a sheet pile wall that retains H
nom
8.0m = of dense sand with characteristic weight density

k
20
kN
m
3
= and drained angle of shearing resistance
k
38 = . The ground behind the wall is horizontal and
subject to a blanket surcharge (representing traffic loading) - but, for simplificty, we will assume q
k
0kPa = . The
ground is dry.
The sheet pile is a Z section with flange thickness t
f
8.5mm = , web thickness t
w
8.5mm = , web height
h 302mm = , clutch-to-clutch breadth b 670mm = , elastic section modulus W
el
1400
cm
3
m
= , and characteristic
yield strength f
yk
355MPa = .
An anchor with ultimate design resistance of R
a,d
130
kN
m
= will be installed at an angle 30 = to the
horizontal to stabilize the wall.
Geometry
Allowing for an unplanned excavation in ULS verifications, the design retained height of the wall is:
H
d
H
nom
min 10% H
nom
0.5m ,
( )
+ 8.5 m = =
Material properties
Partial factors from Set
M1
M2

1
1.25

=
Design angle of shearing resistance:

d
atan
tan
k ( )

38.0
32.0

= =
Characteristic value of soil's constant-volume angle of shearing resistance is assumed to be:

cv,k
30 =
Design value of soil's constant-volume angle of shearing resistance is:

cv,d
min
d

cv,k
,
( )
30 = =
Angle of wall friction is k 0.67 = times the soil's constant-volume angle of shearing resistance:

d
k
cv,d
20 = =
Earth pressure cofficients from Annex C of EN 1997-1:
K
a,h
K
a

d

d
, 0 , 0 ,
( )

0.21
0.26

= =
K
p,h
K
p

d

d
, 0 , 0 ,
( )

7.39
5.18

= =
Actions
Partial factors from Set
A1
A2

:
G
1.35
1

= ,
G,fav
1 = and
Q
1.5
1.3

=
'Single source principle' allows
G,fav

G
1.35
1

= =
Ratio of variable and permanent partial factors is:

Q/G

Q

G
1.11
1.3

= =
Assume a depth of embedment d
1.38
2.01

m =
Overturning moment about anchor is:
M
Ed,dst

G
K
a,h
1
3

k
H
d
d +
( )
3

1
2

Q/G
q
k
H
d
d +
( )
2
+

1790
2040

kNm
m
= =
Restoring moment about anchor is:
M
Ed,stb

G,fav
K
p,h
1
2

k
d
2
H
d
2
3
d +

1789
2061

kNm
m
= =
Out of balance mnoment is:
M
Ed,dst
M
Ed,stb

M
Ed,stb
0.1
1

% =
Active thrust on retained side of wall is:
P
a,Ed

G
K
a,h
1
2

k
H
d
d +
( )
2

Q/G
q
k
H
d
d +
( )
+

272
291

kN
m
= =
Passive thrust thrust on restraining side of wall is:
P
p,Ed

G,fav
K
p,h
1
2

k
d
2

190
209

kN
m
= =
Hence net thrust is:
P
Ed
P
a,Ed
P
p,Ed

81.9
81.7

kN
m
= =
Hence axial force transfered to the anchor is:

F
a,Ed
max P
Ed
1
P
Ed
2
,

cos ( )
94.6
kN
m
= =
The depth of zero shear force in the retaining wall can be found (approximately) from:
z
P
Ed

G
K
a,h
1
2

k

5.42
5.57

m = =
... and checked for accuracy using:
V
z,Ed
P
Ed

G
K
a,h
1
2

k
z
2

Q/G
q
k
z +

0.0
0.0

kN
m
= =
Hence the maximum bending moment in the wall is:
M
Ed
P
Ed
z
G
K
a,h
1
6

k
z
3

1
2

Q/G
q
k
z
2
+

296
303

kNm
m
= =
Maximum bending moment from either combination is:
M
Ed
max M
Ed
1
M
Ed
2
,

303
kNm
m
= =
Maximum shear force in the wall is:
V
Ed
max P
Ed
1
P
Ed
2
,

81.9
kN
m
= =
Verifications
Verification of resistance to overturning
'Degree of utilization'
M
Ed,dst
M
Ed,stb
100
99

% = = or 'Overdesign factor' ODF

M
Ed,stb
M
Ed,dst
1
1.01

= =
The design is unacceptable if the degree of utilization is > 100% (or overdesign factor is < 1)
Verification of bending resistance
Partial factor on yield strength of steel is
M0
1.0 = (from EN 1993-1-1)
Factor for reduced shear force in interlocks
B
1.0 =
Design bending resistance of sheet pile section is:
M
c,Rd

B
W
el
f
yk

M0
497
kNm
m
= =
'Degree of utilization'
M
Ed
M
c,Rd
61 % = = or 'Overdesign factor' ODF
M
c,Rd
M
Ed
1.64 = =
The design is unacceptable if the degree of utilization is > 100% (or overdesign factor is < 1)
Verification of shear resistance
Projected shear area is:
A
v
t
w
h t
f

( )
b
3724
mm
2
m
= =
Design shear resistance of sheet pile section is:
V
pl,Rd
A
v
f
yk
3
M0
763.2
kN
m
= =
'Degree of utilization'
V
Ed
V
pl,Rd
11 % = = or 'Overdesign factor' ODF
V
pl,Rd
V
Ed
9.3 = =
The design is unacceptable if the degree of utilization is > 100% (or overdesign factor is < 1)
Verification of resistance to anchor pull-out
Design pull-out resistance of anchor is: F
a,Rd
R
a,d
130
kN
m
= =
'Degree of utilization'
F
a,Ed
F
a,Rd
73 % = = or 'Overdesign factor' ODF
F
a,Rd
F
a,Ed
1.37 = =
The design is unacceptable if the degree of utilization is > 100% (or overdesign factor is < 1)