3.

3 Rotational Stability of Gravity

Retaining Structures

3.3 - 1
 Stability of Gravity Retaining Walls
A rigid retaining wall must have an adequate factor of
safety to prevent wall rotation

• excessive translation or sliding

• rotation or overturning
• bearing capacity failure
• deep-seated failure
• seepage-induced instability

3.3 - 2
 Gravity Wall Stability – Rotation (Overturning)

 A rigid retaining wall must have adequate resistance

against rotation.
 Failure occurs when the overturning moment MD
(__________
destabilizing) due to the active thrust exceeds the
stabilizing developed by the self
resisting moment MS (_________)
weight of the wall and any soil above its base, as well
as the passive thrust.
 However, this mode of failure is only credible when the
wall is founded on hard clay or on rock.
 If this is not the case, a bearing capacity failure would
in all probability occur before any significant rotation
high concentration of
takes place because of the _________________
stresses around the toe of the wall.
3.3 - 3
 Gravity Wall Stability – Rotation (Overturning)

 The stabilizing moments about +β

the toe of the wall:

xa

MS = Ww x b + Ws x s + Pav x a xs
Ws
Pav
Ho xb
Pah
 The destabilizing moments Ww za
about the toe of the wall:
Toe
x
MD = Pah z a +θ b Heel
xθ
N

 The wall will not rotate or overturn as long as ________.

MS > MD

3.3 - 4
 Gravity Wall Stability – Rotation (Overturning)

 In conventional stability calculations prior to Eurocode

7, the factor of safety against rotation, (FS)R , is the
ratio of the stabilizing moments to the destabilizing
moments taken about the toe of the wall.
+β
Ww x b + Ws x s + Pav x a
(FS )R =
Pah za xa

xs
Ws

 Typically, (FS)R ≥ __
Pav
2 Ho xb
Pah

 Note that the stabilizing Ww za

and destabilizing moments Toe

are calculated based on x +θ b Heel

xθ
unfactored loads and N

material properties. B

3.3 - 5
 Gravity Wall Stability – Rotation (Overturning)

 In Eurocode 7, the over-design factor against rotation

is the ratio of the stabilizing moments to the
destabilizing moments taken about the toe of the wall.

Over-design Ww x b + Ws x s + Pav x a
+β

=
factor Pah z a xa

xs
 For stability, the over-design Ws
Pav
factor should be at least 1. H o xb
Pah

 Note that the stabilizing and Ww za

destabilizing moments in Toe

Eurocode 7 are calculated x +θ b Heel

xθ
based on factored loads and N

material properties. B

3.3 - 6