PRESSURE

EARTH

EARTH
PRESSURE
Prepared By :
Megha Desai

EARTH

PRESSURE

Contents..
Introduction
Types of lateral earth pressure
Rankines theory for active earth
pressure
Rankines theory for passive earth
pressure
Coulombs theory for active earth
pressure
Coulombs theory for passive earth
pressure
Types & design considerations for
retaining walls
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Earth pressure & retaining

structures
Retaining
structures
:when sufficient space is
not available for mass of
soil to spread and form
a safe slope, a structure
is required to retain the
soil or to keep the soil at
different level.
Soil engineering gives
the theories of earth
pressure on retaining
structure.
Megha Desai, Civil dept., CSPIT,
Changa

EARTH

PRESSURE

Introduction

Introduction
Here soil tends to slide
Undesirable situation for roads

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PRESSURE

Required to stable it or protect the soil

to slide down
For

this

purpose

we

provide

the

retaining structure
The pressure created by soil, by which
it

tends

pressure.

to

slide

is

lateral
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earth

EARTH

PRESSURE

Introduction

Retaining structure to retain soil to bear soil

pressure
The pressure exerted by soil on retaining structure is
called Lateral Earth Pressure.

Introduction
To estimate the correct cross-section

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PRESSURE

of retaining structure, we have to

calculate the magnitude and direction
of lateral earth pressure.
Backfill :- The soil retained by any
retaining structure is called backfill.
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Introduction
Proper designing of retaining walls,

EARTH

PRESSURE

cantilever sheet pile walls, braces cuts

and other similar structures requires
proper estimation of Lateral Earth
Pressure.
These all are the types of retaining
structures.
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Retaining Wall

Cantilever Sheet Pile

Wall

10

Braced Cuts

11

Introduction
The lateral earth pressure is function of;
Type & amount of wall movement i.e.

EARTH

PRESSURE

towards or away from the soil.

Shear parameters of soil i.e. C & .
Unit weight of the soil.
Drainage condition at the backfill in
cohesive soil drainage is poor & vise
versa,

&

lateral

earth

pressure

is

different in both cohesive & non-cohesive

soils.

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Ty p e s o f W a l l
Movements
The wall have tendency to move, upon
the action of lateral earth pressure of

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PRESSURE

soil. So based on that there may be

three

different

conditions

of

wall

movement;
Wall cannot move i.e. at rest condition
Wall move away from soil
Wall move towards soil
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Ty p e s o f L a t e r a l E a r t h
Pressure
Based

on

EARTH

PRESSURE

movements,
action

of

the

wall

upon

the

lateral

pressure of soil,

earth

there are

basic three different types

of lateral earth pressure;
At rest earth pressure,
Active earth pressure, and
Passive earth pressure.
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At Rest Earth Pressure

Wall

is

restrained

from moving i.e. at

rest condition.

EARTH

PRESSURE

Pressure

exerted by soil, on
retaining wall.
AT REST EARTH PRESSURE :- When the soil mass is not
subjected to any movement or lateral yielding called at
rest earth pressure.
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Active Earth Pressure

Here the wall moves away from the
soil at the amount H.
in fig.), & wall may tilt away from the
soil retained backside of wall, it is the
active condition.

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PRESSURE

Assuming the failure wedge (as shown

16

EARTH

PRESSURE

Active Earth Pressure

ACTIVE EARTH PRESSURE :- Active earth pressure is

occur when the soil mass yields in such a way that it tends
to stretch horizontally.
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Passive Earth Pressure

The wall is moving towards the soil at
the amount H.

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PRESSURE

Assuming the failure wedge (as shown

in fig.), & wall may be pushed in to
the soil retained backside of wall, it is
the passive condition.
Here with sufficient wall movement,
soil wedge will fail, which is called as
passive condition.

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EARTH

PRESSURE

Passive Earth Pressure

PASSIVE EARTH PRESSURE :-

A state of passive

pressure exists when the movement of wall is such that

the soil tends to compress horizontally.
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Lateral Earth Pressure

at Rest
Considering any soil element at depth

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PRESSURE

Z from the existing ground surface.

On this element. Due to overburden of
soil above vertical stress v will act in
vertical

direction,

and

horizontal

stress h will acting corresponding.

h is the lateral earth pressure.
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,C,

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PRESSURE

Lateral Earth Pressure

at Rest

HOW TO ANALYSE THIS 21h?????

References.
Books:

Arora, K.R., Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering

Punamia, B.C., Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering
Murthy, V.N.S., Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering
Venkatramaiah, C., Geotechnical Engineering

Internet:
http://www.engr.uconn.edu/~lanbo/CE240LectW141Slopestabi
lity1.pdf
elearning.vtu.ac.in/10/enotes/06CV64/Unit6-SVD.pdf
http://nptel.ac.in/courses/105108075/module8/Lecture30.pdf
23

http://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/stsy/geomechanics_text/Ch11_Sl
ope.pdf

http://step.ipgp.fr/images/e/e7/05_01_Limit_equilibrium_slope_stabi
lity.pdf

http://civilwares.free.fr/Geotechnical%20engineering%20-%20
Principles%20and%20Practices%20of%20Soils%20Mechanics%20and
%20Foundation%20Engineering/Chapter%2010.pdf

http://site.iugaza.edu.ps/wp-content/uploads/Lesson%2006-Chapt
er%206%20Slope%20Stability.pdf

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