FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CE 605: Advance Concrete Design final exam fall 2014

Design the shown reinforced concrete retaining wall

0.25 m
A A

3.0 m
0.30 m
7.0 m

3.0 m
1.25 m
1.50 m
0.50 m

4.50 m
Sec. A-A

ckN/m3
skN/m3
30o
 Select the overall dimensions (height, embedment, footing length
and position, and estimated footing & wall thicknesses) based on
stability (sliding and overturning) and soil strength (max/min
bearing pressures) using service level loads.
 Check slab (wall and footing) thicknesses using shear criteria and
factored loads. Adjust thicknesses as necessary, rechecking stability
and soil strength of the values change.
 Select the flexural steel for the three cantilever slab elements using
factored loads.
 Select the temperature and shrinkage steel for wall and footing.
 Draw the resulting wall cross section (to scale!)
Design of Counterforts
The counterforts are spaced at intervals and act as tension
members to support the stem
Since the active earth pressure on stem acts outward and stem is
considered to be fixed at counterforts, the counterforts are subjected
to outward reaction from the stem, this produces.
 Tension along the outer sloping face of the counterforts.
 The inner face supporting the stem is in compression.
 The wall (stem) lies in the compression zone with respect to the
bending of the counterforts.
 The counterforts are designed as a T- beam of varying depth.
 The main steel provided along the sloping face shall be anchored
properly at both ends.
 The depth of the counterfort is measured perpendicular to the
sloping side.
 In order that the counterfort and stem should act as one unit, it is
joined firmly to the stem by providing ties in the horizontal plane.
The base is tied with vertical ties to prevent its tendency to
separate out under the action of net downward force. The
provision of ties ensures transfer of forces to the counterforts.
 The net forces acting on the different components of the
counterforts, position of main steel and horizontal and vertical ties
are schematically shown
 CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CE 605: Advance Concrete Design final exam fall 2014

A Reinforced concrete retaining wall is required to support earth to a height

of 8 m above the ground level . The top surface of the backfill is horizontal .
The trial pit taken at the site indicates that soil of bearing capacity 220 kN/m2
is available at depth 2m below the ground level . The weight of earth is 18
kN/m3 and angle of repose is 30o . The coefficient of friction between
concrete and soil is 0.6 , Use concrete M20 and steel grade 415. take base
with equal to 0.6 height of the wall , the toe projection equal 2.1 m,
thickeners of the vertical wall equal 300 mm, thickness of base slab = 500mm
, width of counterfort equal 400 mm. . Design the retaining wall