LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE WITH APPLICATION OF AREA MOMENT METHOD

1. A 6m high retaining wall is acted on by active force that varies uniformly from 8kN/m at
the top and 48kn/m at the base. Assume that the flexural rigidity of the wall is constant.

a. Compute the maximum moment in the wall.

b. If the wall is simply supported at the top, compute the maximum moment in the wall.
c. If the wall is simply supported at the top, compute the maximum shear in the wall.

SOLUTIONS:

6 1 1
a. MA = (8)(6)( )+ (40) (6) ( )(6)
2 2 3
MA = 384 kN.m

3 1
b. RB = W1L+ W2L
8 10
3 1
RB = (8)(6) + (40)(6)
8 10
RB = 42kN
6 1 1
MA= 8(6) ( )+ (40) (6) ( )(6) – 42
2 2 3
MA= 342 kN.m

1
c. VA = (8)(6) + (40)(6) – 42
2
VA = 126kN
LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE WITH APPLICATION OF AREA MOMENT METHOD

2. A 10m cantilever retaining wall is subjected to active pressure increasing from 3 kn/m at
the top (free end ) to 64 kn/m at the base at the base ( fixed end) per meter strip of the wall
along its longitudinal axis

a. Calculate the maximum shear?

b. Calculate the maximum moment?
c. If the wall were laterally supported at the free end determine the moment at the base.

SOLUTIONS:

1
a. V= (3)(10) + (61)(10)
2
V= 335 kN

10 1 1
b. MA = (3)(10)( )+ (61) (10) ( )(10)
2 2 3
MA = 1166.67 kN.m

c. A1X1 =A2X2+A3A3

1 2 1 X L2 3 L¿ 1 Y L2 4
RL (L) L = (L)( )( + ( )(L)( L¿
2 3 3 2 4 4 6 5
R L3 x L 4 y L 4
= +
3 8 30

x L4 y L 4 3
R=( + )( )
8 30 L3

R=¿
R= 621.25kN
 LATERAL EARTH PRESSURE WITH APPLICATION OF AREA MOMENT METHOD

3. An 7m high retaining wall is subjected to lateral earth pressure increasing from 20kpa at
the top to 100kpa at the base. Flexural rigidity EI= 4.5 x 10^14 N.mm 2. Analyze per meter
length of the wall.

a. What is the moment at the base of the cantilever retaining wall?

b. To prevent from excessive deflection at the free end, the wall is braced at the top. What
force(kN) is required at the propped end of the wall to limit the deflection to 38mm?
c. When the wall is propped at the top, what is the moment at the base of the wall?

SOLUTIONS:

7 1 1
a. M = (20)(7)( )+ (80) (7) ( )(7)
2 2 3
M = 1143.33 kN

b. EI= 4.2 x 1014 N.mm2

P L3 w L4 w L4
+ + = 38mm
3 EI 8 EI 30 EI
P(7000 mm)3 20(7000 mm)4 80 (7000 mm) 4
+ + =
3(4.2 x 1014 N . mm2) 8 (4.2 x 1014 N . mm 2) 30(4.2 x 1014 N . mm 2)
P = 31091.84 N 38mm

P = 31.09184 kN

3 1
c. P = w1L + w2 L
8 10

3 1
P= (20)(7) + (100-20)(7)
8 10

P= 60.875 kN

7 1 1
MA= (20)(7)( )+ (80) (7) ( )(7) – 60.875 kN (7)
2 2 3

MA= 717.205 kN.m