GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE

I. EARTH PRESSURE AT REST
Ko =

h
; where Ko = coefficient of lateral earth pressure at rest
v
h = horizontal/lateral stress due to soil mass
v = vertical stress due to soil mass

For coarse grained soils and loose sands, Ko = 1 sin (Jaky, 1944) where = drained friction angle

1 5.5 (Sherif, Fang, Sherif, 1984)

d min

PI (%)
For fine grained, normally consolidated soils, Ko = 0.44 + 0.42

100

For dense sand, Ko = (1 sin ) +

For overconsolidated clays, Ko = Ko(normally consolidated) x

OCR ; OCR = overconsoildation ratio

OCR = preconsolidation pressure present overburden pressure

II. RANKINES ACTIVE PRESSURE THEORY

a
45
2
Ka = = tan2
v
III. RANKINES PASSIVE PRESSURE THEORY

45

Kp = = tan2
v

IV. COULOMBS ACTIVE EARTH PRESSURE THEORY

cos 2
Ka =

sin sin
cos cos 1

cos cos

V. COULOMBS PASSIVE EARTH PRESSURE THEORY

cos 2
Kp =

sin sin
cos cos 1

cos cos

Depth of tensile cracks on wall: zo =

2c

Ka

For undrained conditions, = 0, Ka = 1 and c = cu = undrained shear strength, zo =

2cu