DEFINITION

FUNCTIONS

Active Earth Pressure

epactive

Passive Earth Pressure

Active Force

Rankine Active Force

eppassive

wedge

actforce

VARIABLES
a
b
c

PARAMETERS
REPRESENTATION
(unit weight of soil)
d(depth of soil)
dw (depth of water)

UNITS
kN/m3
m
m

c' (cohesion)

kN/m2

' (effective friction angle of soil)

Surcharge Stress

kN/m2

a
b
c

(unit weight of soil)

d(depth of soil)
dw (depth of water)

kN/m3
m
m

c' (cohesion)

kN/m2

' (effective friction angle of soil)

a
b

H (height of retaining wall)

(unit weight of soil)

m
kN/m3

' (effective friction angle of soil)

H (Height of soil acting on the

retaining wall)

(unit weight of soil)

kN/m3

(effective friction angle of soil)

(angle of sloped backfill)

Coulomb Active Force

Force

coulombactforce

Weight

We

Overturning Moment

Mo

Numerator for factor of

safety against sliding with
NO water table and the
passive pressure is NOT
considered

Wcosalpha

H (Height of soil acting on the

retaining wall)

(unit weight of soil)

kN/m3

(effective friction angle of soil)

(friction)

(slope of soil at the surface from

the wall)

(angle of sloped backfill)

q1 (1st stress value)

kN/m2

q2 (1st stress value)

kN/m2

H (change in height between

stresses

a
b
c
a

(unit weight of soil)

b(width of element)
d(depth of element)
Pa (active force)

kN/m3
m
m
kN

(effective friction angle of soil)

c
a

H(total height of soil)

(unit weight of soil)

m
kN/m3

b(width of element)

d(depth of element)

(angle of wedge due to key)

1 (unit weight of first soil layer)

kN/m3

Effective Stress

Functions for Retaining Wall

Shear Strength

Numerator for top equation

for factor of safety against
sliding

sigmap

d1 (depth of first soil layer)

2 (unit weight of second soil

layer)

kN/m3

d1 (depth of second soil layer)

3 (unit weight of second soil

layer)

kN/m3

d3 (depth of second soil layer)

dw (depth of water)

' (effective stress)

kN/m2

' (effective friction angle

of soil)

OCR (Overconsolidated Ratio)

c' (cohesion)

kN/m2

W (Total Weight)

kN

(angle of wedge due to key)

(effective friction angle of soil)

h1(depth of water on active side)

h2 (depth of water on passive side)

f
g

Pp (Passive Force)

kN
m

tau

slidingnum

B (Base of Wall)

Functions fo

Denominator for equation

for factor of safety against
sliding

Eccentricity

slidingdenom

ec

Pa (Active Force)

kN

(angle of wedge due to key)

c
a
b
c

Wo

kN
m
m
kN

kN

f
a
b
c
a
b
c

Q (Total applied load)

B ( Base of Wall)
e (eccentricity)
Q (Total applied load)
B (Base of Wall)
e (eccentricity)

kN
m
m
kN
m
m

nc

(effective friction angle of soil)

nq

(effective friction angle of soil)

ngamma

(effective friction angle of soil)

q (Effective Stress)

kN/m2

b
c
d

nq
B (1/2 base of wall)
ngamma

Maximum Stress due to

eccentricity for retaining
wall

qmaxstr

Minimum Stress due to

eccentricity for retaining
wall

qminstr

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Strip Footing
(Drained)

W (Total weight excluding

weight of wedge)
Htotal (Total height of wall including
key)
Hkey (Height of key)

Bearing Capacity Factors

B(1/2 Base of wall)

(Wx/W)
Pa (Active Force)

qultstripdr

m
m

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Strip Footing
(Drained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Strip Footing
(Undrained)

Rotational Factor of safety

for a cantilever wall

Factor of safety against

sliding for a cantilever wall

qultstripdr

qultstripun

FSrc

FSsc

(unit weight of soil)

kN/m3

f
g
a

c' (cohesion)
nc
nc

kN/m2

C (Undrained Shear Strength)

kN/m2

c
d

q (Effective Stress)
nq

kN/m2

b
c
d
e
f
g

m
m
m
m
m

Refer to drawing in Appendix

kN/m3

b
c
d
e
f
g

m
m
m
m
m
Refer to drawing in Appendix

kN/m3

kN/m3

(() tan(_(1 ) ^
_2 )+_(2 ) +
_)/(_ )

used for Slope Stability

Eccentricity for a cantilever

wall

ecc

Weight

We

Part of numerator for factor

of safety for slope stability

Wcosalpha

l
m
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h

Wsinalpha

kN/m3

kN/m3

l
m
a
b
c
a
b
c

kN/m2
m
kN/m3
m
m
kN/m3
m
m

a
b
c

a
u

Force due to pore water

pressure

Refer to drawing in Appendix

Part of numerator for factor

of safety for slope stability

kN/m2
m
m
m
m
m
m
m

(unit weight of soil)

b(width of element)
d(depth of element)
(unit weight of soil)
b(width of element)
d(depth of element)
(angle centre line to centre of
slice)

(unit weight of soil)

b(width of element)
d(depth of element)
(angle centre line to centre of
slice)

kN/m3
m
m

hw (depth of water table)

Functions used for Sl

Force due to pore water

pressure

cbsec

b (width of slice)

(angle between centre line and

centre base of slice)

a
b

c' (cohesion)
b (width of slice)

kN/m2
m

(angle between centre line and

centre base of slice)

cl

a
b
(Wcos-U)tan' +cl

Bearing Capacity Factors

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Strip Footing
(Drained)

kN
kN

Wcos
U
' (effective friction angle
of soil)
cl

nc

(effective friction angle of soil)

nq

(effective friction angle of soil)

ngamma

(effective friction angle of soil)

q (Effective Stress)
nq
B (1/2 base of wall)
ngamma

kN/m2

qultstripdr

a
b
c
d
e

(unit weight of soil)

kN/m3

c' (cohesion)

kN/m2

slopetop

kN

Functions for Shallow Foundations

for a Strip Footing

(Drained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Strip Footing
(Undrained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Pad Footing
(Drained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Pad Footing
(Undrained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Circular Footing
(Drained)

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Circular Footing
(Undrained)

qultstripdr

qultstripun

qultsquaredr

qultsquareun

qultcircdr

qultcircun

g
a

nc
nc

C (Undrained Shear Strength)

kN/m2

q (Effective Stress)

kN/m2

nq

a
b
c
d
e

q (Effective Stress)
nq
B (1/2 base of wall)
ngamma
(unit weight of soil)

kN/m2

f
g
a

c' (cohesion)
nc
nc

kN/m2

C (Undrained Shear Strength)

kN/m2

c
d
a
b
c
d
e

q (Effective Stress)
nq
q (Effective Stress)
nq
B (1/2 base of wall)
ngamma
(unit weight of soil)

kN/m2

f
g
a

c' (cohesion)
nc
nc

kN/m2

C (Undrained Shear Strength)

kN/m2

q (Effective Stress)

kN/m2

m
kN/m3

kN/m2
m
kN/m3

Ultimate Bearing Capacity

for a Circular Footing
(Undrained)

Settlement

qultcircun

Settlement1

Maximum Stress of Strip

footing

qmaxstr

Minimum Stress of Strip

footing

qminstr

d
a

nq
eo (Initial void ratio)

ef (final void ratio)

c
a
b
c
a
b
c

Ho (Thickness of clay layer)

m
kN
m
m
kN
m
m

Q (Total applied load)

B ( Base of Footing)
e (eccentricity)
Q (Total applied load)
B (Base of Footing)
e (eccentricity)

EQUATIONS

ka(h-whw + surcharge)- 2c'(ka1/2)

kp(h-whw) + 2c'(kp1/2)

Rcos-Rsin

1/2 _
^2 cos

1/2 _ ^2
cos(-(90-))

1/2(_1 +
_2 )

bd

^/3 _

(bd)cos

(1d1 +2d2 +3d3) - wdw

[(' -u)tan']x OCR + c'

(Wcos- U)tan' + (Pp/3)

Pacos-Wosin

(/2 - ^) +

_
/
(3)

/( 1 +
6/)
/( 1 6/)

Cnc + qnq + (1/2)B'n

Cnc + qnq + (1/2)B'n

qnq + (1/2)B'n

(() tan(_(1 ) ^
_2 )+_(2 ) +
_)/(_ )

(_)/_

/2-(
_
_)/()

bd

(bd)cos

(bd)sin

hwwbsec

hwwbsec

cbsec

(Wcos-U)tan' +cl

for ' =0, nc= 5.7;

'>0, nc=
(_

1)/

^2(0.75
^/360)/
( 2 ^2
(45+^/2))
2(_+1)/
(1+0.44)

Cnc + qnq + (1/2)B'n

for

Cnc + qnq + (1/2)B'n

qnq + (1/2)B'n

1.3Cnc + qnq +(0.8) (1/2)B'n

qnq + (0.8)(1/2)B'n

1.3Cnc + qnq +(0.6) (1/2)B'n

qnq + (0.6)(1/2)B'n

qnq + (0.6)(1/2)B'n

Ho((_

_)/
1+
_ /(
)
1+
6/)
/( 1 6/)

(Strongly Disagree = 1, Disagree= 2, Moderate = 3 , Agree= 4, Strongly Agree= 5)

Q1. Do you find it difficult to solve geotechnical problems manually?
Q2. Do you make several mistakes before arriving at the correct answer?
Q3. Would it be easier if you had an answer you could work towards?
Q4.Some questions in the given assignments are practical for real life situations and
cannot be solved manually within a short period of time (at least 2 hours)?
Q5. From the given manual, are the functions created easy to use?
Q6. Are the functions helpful towards obtaining the correct answers?
Q7. Can spreadsheets be generated for solving problems from the created functions?
Q8. Does using Microsoft Excel with these functions improve your understanding for the
specific topics in this field of engineering?
Q9. Do you believe that using these functions would save time?
Q10. Would the repetitive use of this software add an extra skill that would be applicable
in the job market?

Average Response

Percentage of
Agreement

4.05

81%

4.55

91%

3.6

72%

4.65

93%

3.25

65%

4.1

82%

4.7

94%

2.95

59%

4.1

82%

3.8

76%