AASHTO LRFD Section 11

Abutments, Piers, and Walls

AASHTO Section 11
Design

specifications for:

Conventional

gravity/semigravity walls
Non-gravity cantilevered walls
Anchored walls
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE)
walls
Prefabricated modular walls

Common Load Groups for Walls

gDC

gEV

gEH
(Active)

gES

gLS

Strength Ia

0.90

1.00

1.50

1.50

1.75

Strength Ib

1.25

1.35

1.50

1.50

1.75

Service I

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Group

Load Definitions

DC dead load of structural components

and attachments
EV vertical pressure from dead load of
earth fill
EH horizontal earth pressure load
ES earth surcharge load
LS live load surcharge (transient load)

Surcharge Loads

Earth surcharge AASHTO Section

3.11.6.1 and 3.11.6.2
Live load surcharge AASHTO
3.11.6.4

Conventional Retaining Walls

Strength Limit States

Sliding
Bearing resistance
Eccentricity

Service Limit States

Vertical settlement
Lateral wall movement
Overall stability

External Failure Mechanisms

Sliding Failure

Overturning Failure

Bearing Failure

Deep-Seated
Sliding Failure

1.50 EHsin(b+d)

1.50 EHsin(b+d)

1.50
EHcos(b+d)

1.00 WAH

Load Factors for

Bearing Resistance

1.00 EV

b+d

1.00 WAV

1.00 WAV

1.50 EH

0.90 DC

1.35 EV

1.25 DC

Load Factors for Conventional Walls

1.50 EH

b+d
1.50
EHcos(b+d)

1.00 WAH

Load Factors for

Sliding and Eccentricity

Conventional Walls - Summary

Use resistance factors for spread footings

or deep foundations, as appropriate
(Section 10.5)

Eccentricity limited to:

e/B < 0.25 for soil (compare to ASD 0.167)

e/B < 0.375 for rock (compare to ASD 0.25)

Non-gravity Cantilevered Walls

Strength Limit States

Bearing resistance of embedded portion of wall

Passive resistance of embedded portion of wall
Flexural resistance of wall/facing elements

Service Limit States

Vertical wall movement

Lateral wall movement
Overall stability

Resistance Factors
Bearing Resistance
Passive Resistance
Flexural Resistance

Section 10.5
1.00
0.90

Code allows increase in Resistance Factors

for temporary walls but specific guidance is
not provided

Pressure Diagrams Discrete Elements

ASD

LRFD

Non-gravity Cantilevered Walls

Below excavation line, multiply by 3b

on passive side of wall and 1b on active
side of wall for discrete elements

Look at forces separately below

excavation line on passive side and
active side (because different load
factors)

Non-gravity Cantilevered Walls

Factor embedment by 1.2 for

continuous wall elements

Do not factor embedment for discrete

wall elements (conservatism of 3b
assumption)

Example

Cantilevered sheet pile wall retaining a

10-ft deep cut in granular soils
Assume 36 ksi yield stress for sheet
pile
Compare required embedment depth
and structural section for ASD and
LRFD
Load Factor of 1.5 used for EH (active)

Example Geometry
g=
Ka =
gp =

10'

125 pcf
0.33
1.5

Pa

Pp

La

Lp
Kp =
jp =

3
1

Factored Pa = gp * 0.5 * (L+10)2 * Ka * g

Factored Pp = jp * 0.5 * L2 * Kp * g

Example Results
Method

Mmax

Embedment

ASD

(k-ft)
15.4

(ft)
12.2

LRFD

29.2

12.2

Section
Modulus
(in3/ft)
9.23 (S)
(elastic)
10.83 (Z)
(plastic)

Since Z is about 1.15 to 1.20 times S,

similar section would be acceptable

Anchored Walls

Strength Limit States

Bearing resistance of embedded portion of wall

Passive resistance of embedded portion of wall
Flexural resistance of wall/facing elements
Ground anchor pullout
Tensile resistance of anchor tendon

Service Limit States

Same as non-gravity cantilevered wall

Apparent Earth Pressure

Diagrams

Based on FHWA-sponsored research

Builds upon well-known Terzaghi-Peck
envelopes
Appropriate for walls built in competent
ground where maximum wall height is
critical design case
Same diagram shape for single or
multi-leveled anchored walls

H1
2/

Hn

Th2

Thn

2/

Hn+1

Hn+1

3
2/

H1
H2

Th1

3
1/

(H-H1)

Th1

2/

H1

H1

Recommended AEP for Sands

R
p=

R
TOTALLOAD
K A H
2 H
3

(a) Walls with one level

of ground anchors

p=

TOTALLOAD
H - 1 3 H1 1 3 Hn+1

(b) Walls with multiple

levels of ground anchors

LRFD Check on Tensile Breakage

Guaranteed Ultimate Tensile

Strength (GUTS)

Tn
GUTS

Select tendon with:

iQi
GUTS

Resistance Factors for Ground

Anchors Tensile Rupture
Mild Steel
High Strength Steel

0.90
0.80

Resistance factors are applied to

maximum proof test load
For high strength steel, apply
resistance factor to GUTS

Comparison to ASD
Tensile Rupture

ASD

0.8 GUTS > 1.33 Design Load

(DL = EH + LS)
0.8 GUTS > 1.33 EH + 1.33 LS

LRFD

GUTS > gp EH + 1.75 LS

0.8 GUTS > 1.5 EH + 1.75 LS

Maximum proof test load must be at least

equal to the factored load

Anchor Bond Length

Tn
L b(min) =
Qa

Lb = anchor bond length

Tn = factored anchor load
Qa = nominal anchor pullout resistance

Nominal Anchor Pullout

Resistance

Qa = d a L b

Qa = nominal anchor pullout capacity

d = anchor hole diameter
a = nominal anchor bond stress
Lb = anchor bond length

Preliminary Evaluation Only

Bond stress values in AASHTO

should be used for FEASIBILITY
evaluation

AASHTO values for cohesionless

and cohesive soil and rock

Presumptive Nominal Bond Stress

in Cohesionless Soils
Anchor/Soil Type
(Grout Pressure)

Soil Compactness or SPT

Resistance

Presumptive
Ultimate Bond
Stress, n (ksf)

Gravity Grouted Anchors

(<50 psi)
Sand or Sand-Gravel Mixtures

Medium Dense to Dense 11-50

1.5 to 2.9

Medium Dense to Dense 11-50

Medium Dense 11-30
Dense to Very Dense 30-50

1.7 to 7.9
2.3 to 14
5.2 to 20

Silty Sands

-----

3.5 to 8.5

Sandy Gravel

Medium Dense to Dense 11-40

Dense to Very Dense 40-50+
Dense 31-50

4.4 to 29
5.8 to 29
6.3 to 11

Pressure Grouted Anchors

(50 to 400 psi)
Fine to Medium Sand
Medium to Coarse Sand w/Gravel

Glacial Till

Resistance Factors
Anchor Pullout
Cohesionless (Granular)
Soils
Cohesive Soils
Rock

Where Proof Tests Preformed

1)

2)

0.65(1)
0.70(1)
0.50(1)

1.00(2)

Using presumptive values for preliminary

design only
Where proof tests conducted to at least 1.0
times the factored anchor load

Comparison to ASD
Anchor Pullout
1.1

LRFD/ASD

1.05
1.0

Rock (FS = 3.0, = 0.50)

0.95
Sand (FS = 2.5, = 0.65)

0.9
0.85
0.8

Clay (FS = 2.5, = 0.70)

0

10

15

20

Dead Load / Live Load

EH

L b(min)(ASD) =
+ 1 FS
LS

EH

+ 1.75
1.5
LS

L b(min)(LRFD) =

Final Anchor Design

Section 11.9.4.2 Anchor Pullout

Capacity
For final design, the contract documents
shall require that verification tests or
pullout tests on sacrificial anchors in each
soil unit be conducted
Different than current ASD practice, but
intent is not to require, in general, pullout
testing

Bearing Resistance of Wall

Element

Assume all vertical loads carried by portion

of wall below excavation level
Code refers designer to section on spread or
deep foundations for analysis methods
Resistance factors used are for static
capacity evaluation of piles or shafts (i.e., =
0.3 to 0.5 FS ~ 3.0 to 4.5)
Resistance factors should be modified to
correlate to FS = 2.0 to 2.5 for bearing
resistance evaluation

MSE Walls

Strength Limit States

Same external stability checks as for

conventional gravity walls
Tensile resistance of reinforcement
Pullout resistance of reinforcement
Structural resistance of face elements and face
element connection

Service Limits States

Same as for conventional gravity walls

MSE Walls External Stability

MSE Walls Internal Stability

Check pullout and tensile

resistance at each reinforcement
level and compare to maximum
factored load, Tmax

Maximum Factored Load

Apply factored load to the

reinforcements

Tmax = HS v

sH = factored horizontal soil stress

at reinforcement (ksf)
Sv = vertical spacing of
reinforcement
AASHTO 11.10.6.2.1-2

Factored Horizontal Stresses

Factored Horizontal Stress

H = gP Vk r + H

gP = load factor (=1.35 for EV)

kr = pressure coefficient
sV = pressure due to resultant of
gravity forces from soil self weight
DsH = horizontal stress

AASHTO 11.10.6.2.1-1

Reinforcement Tensile
Resistance

Tmax Tal R c

Tal = Nominal long-term

reinforcement design strength
= Resistance factor for tensile
resistance

AASHTO 11.10.6.4.1-1

Resistance Factors for Tensile

Resistance
Metallic
Reinforcement

Geosynthetic
Reinforcement

Strip Reinforcement
Static loading
Combined static/earthquake loading
Grid Reinforcement
Static loading
Combined static/earthquake loading

Static loading
Combined static/earthquake
loading

0.75
1.00

0.65
0.85

0.90
1.20

ASD/LRFD Tensile Breakage

Example of Steel Strip Reinforcement
ASD

LRFD

Tmax = shSv

Tmax = gpshSv

Tmax = (svkr + Dsh) Sv

Tmax = 1.35 (svkr + Dsh) Sv

Tal = (0.55 Fy Ac) / b

Tal = ( Fy Ac) / b

Tal / Tmax = 0.55 / 1 = 0.55

Tal / Tmax = 0.75 / 1.35 = 0.55

with = 0.75

Other Developments

LRFD for Soil Nails NCHRP 24-21

Draft LRFD Design and Construction

Specification for Micropiles

The
End