Cofferdam

Uses of sheet pile wall in practice

Sheet pile walls supporting slope

Sheet pile wall sections

Two types of earth retaining structures 1) Flexible retaining wall sheet piles wall, cofferdam, strutted excavation 2) Rigid retaining wall RC retaining wall, Flexible retaining wall 1) Cantilever sheet pile wall 2) Anchored sheet pile wall (anchored bulkhead) Cantilever sheet pile wall

Soil backfill

h
Dredge line Centre of rotation Pa

O
Active pressure Passive pressure

Pp Simplified pressure

When the height of soil to be retained us small, the piling acts as a cantilever. Then active earth pressure on the right for a height (h+d) must be resisted by the passive earth pressure in the soil on both sides depends on the passive earth pressure of the soil in front of the embedded length). Figure above shows the piles being driven to a depth d. h being the height of the soil retained. The wall is assumed to rotate about point O. By taking moment of all forces about the base of the pile the depth d can be found. Increase d by 20% to give the total depth of embedment.

Anchored sheet pile wall (anchored bulkhead) When a sheet pile is held near the top by a tie bar into the soil behind the failure plane the stability does not depend on the passive resistance developed. The depth can be made smaller and the depth of soil to be retained can be higher. Stability depends on a) b) c) d) Relative stiffness of piling Depth of embedment Relative compressibility of soil Amount of anchor yield

Anchor bulkheads penetration can be made smaller because the piling is tied near the top and anchored into the stable volume of soil behind the plane of rupture. The depth of soil retained can also be made greater. Stability does not depend very much on the passive pressure in front of the wall.

Tie rod Rankines active Dredge level zone 45+/2

45- /2

Deadman Rankines passive zone

Plane of failure

Location of anchor block (deadman)

Problem in sheet pile walls 1) Estimation of depth of penetration, d 2) Calculation of anchor pull RA 3) Calculation of maximum bending moment in piling

Methods of analysis 1) Free earth support method 2) Fixed earth support method 3) Tshebotarioffs mathod

Free Earth Support Method This method assumes that the wall is freely supported near the top by the anchorage force and by the passive resistance at the bottom. The piling is rigid compared to the surrounding soil.

a A h

RA

RA

Pa d Pp Shear Bending moment Pressure diagram

To provide for FoS (F > 1) either One half of the passive resistance is mobilized i. e Kp can be taken as half of gthe original value or Calculate d ( F = 1) and increase by 50% Fixed Earth Support Method (equivalent beam) The method assumes that the penetration is deep enough to ensure the soil below the dredge level produces considerable restraint on the piling, preventing free rotation at the lower end. Point of contraflexure occurs below the dredge level at a distance y. The prevention of free rotation at the lower end suggests the development of passive pressure at the back of the wall (right hand side) for the same distance above the lower end E. This passive force is arbitrarily replaced

by a point / concentrated load RD acting at D. The method does not give FoS with respect to passive pressure. FoS = 1 is assumed throughout the analysis. To determine the point of contraflexure below the dredge line, Terzaghi introduced the following relationship y

20 0.25h

30 0.08h

40 -0.006h

The point of contraflexure C is considered as a hinge transmitting shear only. The structure can be considered as consisting of two separate beams: upper beam AC and lower beam CD. RC being the force at hinge C.
a RA Point of contraflexure B d C D E y

RA

Bending moment
RA RA

Equivalent beam

Upper beam

R2 RC R1

RC lower beam RD

Fixed Earth Support Equivalent Beam

Tschebotarioffs Method

a RA H Pa Contraflexure

RA

B Rc 0.43H

H/3

Dredge level

i) Point of contraflexure occurs at dredge level

ii) Depth of embedment is assumed to equal to 0.43H to provide FoS 2.0

iii) f = factor to take into account of uncertainty in the passive resistance , range 1.5 3.5 f = effect of wall friction = 0.9 iv) Pressure diagram is assumed hydrostatic above dredge level

v) Determine RA by taking moment about B RA (H-a) = Pa H/3

Modify RA

f = 1.0 (granular)

Sheet piles in clay ( = 0)

Active pressure (from backfill)

passive

active

_ H
Passive pressure (below dredge line)

z
z-H

_ + +
z 2c pp = z + 2c

+
Net pressure diagram

ka = 1.0, kp = 1.0, pa = z -2c

Pa = z2 -2cz

-8cz + 4cH = H2 - 2zH

Penetration of sheet pile is independent of H. Soil is self supporting.

Stability number can be written as ,

If wall adhesion is considered, Then Normally Therefore

Sn = 0.3

Any sheet piling driven to cohesive soils should have a minimum stability number equal to 0.3 times a desired factor of safety.