RETAINING WALLS

Design Steps and Equations

GRAVITY RETAINING WALLS

Constructed with plain concrete or stone masonry. For stability they depend on their
own weight and any soil resting on the masonry. Not ecnomical for high walls
CANTILEVER RETAINING WALLS
Made of reinforced concrete that consists of a thin stem and base. Economical for
walls up to 8m.

TENTITIVE APPROXIMATE DIMENSIONS :

GRAVITY WALLS

min 0.3m

min 20 mm

1m
Excavation Line

D
min 0.6m

0.1 to 0.2 H

0.1 to 0.2 H

B = 0.6 to 0.85 H

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

CANTILEVER WALLS

min 0.3m

min 20 mm

1m

Excavation Line

D
min 0.6 m

0.1 to 0.15 H

~0.15H

~0.15H
B = 0.6 to 0.8 H

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

FORCES AND STABILTY OF RETAINING WALLS :

DESIGN DIMENSIONS :
B

Slope from K to L = min. 20mm : 1m

A

KA = min. 0.3 m

!
C

AH = Hieght H
WS1

JH ~ 0.15H
NJ

~ 0.15H

NO = d = 0.1 to 0.15H
WC1

OE = B = 0.5 to 0.8H
D

= min. 0.6 m
Pav

Pa

WS2
WC2

WS3
Q

Pah

L
H

N
I

D PP

WC3

Toe

D
F

Heel

Soil 1
P

Ff

Soil 2

e
G

FS

H = BE = DE + H + HD sin !
B = OE ( Base )
'2 $
tan ('2 ) tan % (2 "
&3 #

c '2 )

2
c2
3

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

STABILITY CHECKS :
1. Check for Overturning about toe ( point O ). [ SF * 2.0]
2. Check for Sliding along the base. [ SF * 1.5]
3. Check for Bearing Capacity failure of the base. [SF * 2.5]
4. Check for Setllement. [ s + sa ]

1. OVERTURNING :
SFoverturnin g )

, MRESIST
, MOVERTURN

-.MR.).-.Mi...................(
................... moment about toe )
-.V = W S1 + W S2 + W C1 + W C2 +W C3 + W S3 + Pav

' H' $
, Mov ) Pah % " / Mv ....0.......Pah = Pa cos!
&3#
Pav = Pa sin!
Mv = Pav . B

6 HD
3
MS1 ) WS1XS1 = ( AREA ACDH ) 81 4
7 HJ 7 JN1
54 2
21
.
.
.

.
.
.

.
.
.

6 2IJ
3
MC 2 ) WC 2 XC 2 = ( AREA KIJ ) 8 C 4
7 JN1
54 3
21
.
.
.

.
.
.

.
.
.

61
3 6D 3
MPP ) PP XP ) 4 K P 8 2D2 7 2c K P D1 4 1
52
2 532
-..).-.MR

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

2. SLIDING :
SFSLIDING )

, FR
, FS

, FR ) Ff ) 9, V : tan (' 2 7 Bc '2 7Pp

, FS ) Pah ) Pa cos !

3. BEARING CAPACITY :

-V

Mnet (pt.o ) ) , MR / , Mov

Pah

FS ) , V

Base

x (distance of FS from O ) =

e ) eccentricity )

qmax = qTOE =
HEEL

min

Mnet
,V

B
/ x
2

6e $
,V '
%1 ;
"
B &
B #

When calculating the bearing capacity the wall is considered as a strip footing with
width B at a depth D. Using (< and c2 for soil 2, the bearing capacity equation
becomes:

qu ) c Nc dc ic
note that

> 7 = 8 D (N

/ 1) iq

S c = Sq = S8 = 1
B = B 2e

>7

6 1
3
4 2 8 B' N8 i8 1
5
2

( Strip )

and

The terms ic , iq and i8 are correction factors for load inclination where:
? $
'
ic ) iq ) %1 / @ "
& 90 #

and

'
?$
i8 ) %%1 / ""
(
&
#

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

'PR$
' P cos ! $
? ) tan /1 % a " ) tan/1 % a
"
&,V#
& ,V #

The design safety factor is estimated as:

SFBC =

qu
qmax

The minumum applied pressure should also be calcualted as:

qmin > 0

or

eA

B
6

MOMENTS IN TOE AND HEEL:

PV
xT

xH
q1 = Havg 81

q2 = MN 82

Toe

Heel
qmin

qmax

xh
slope s
xt

Havg. )

AH DB
+
2
2

and

slope s )

qmax / qmin
2

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

TOE:
q ) 9qmax / q2 : / sx
V ) 9qmax / q2 : x /
M ) 9qmax / q2 :

sx 2
2

x2
sx 3
/
2
6

Find V and M at x=xT i.e V(xT) , M(xT)

The ultimate values of shear and moment are calculated as
Vu(xT) = 1.8V(xT)
Mu(xT)= 1.4M(xT)

Vu ( x T )
this must be + B u ) 4.56 fc '
d' x1
where fc in kN/m2 , if not increase d .

Calculate shear stress in toe, B )

Use Mu(xT) and d to find reinforcement in toe.

HEEL:
q ) 9qmin / q 2 : 7 sx
V ) 9qmin

sx 2
/ q 2 :x 7
/ Pav
2

M ) 9qmin / q 2 :

x 2 sx 3
7
/ Pav .x
2
6

Find V and M at x=xH

and repeat same process as in toe.

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma

SHERA AND MOMENT IN STEM:

Stem

Location
0H

0.25H

0.5H

0.75H

1.0H

(q)

(V)

(M)

For STEM thickness

s = (tBOTTOM tTOP)/H

q ) 8k a .x

C t = tTOP + sx

V ) 8k a

x2
2

where s = slope of stem

M ) 8k a

x3
3

Calculate t, V and M at x = 0, 0.25H, 0.5H, 0.75H & H

Find

Vu = 1.8V

Mu= 1.4M

For each of the points on the stem calculate

Shear stress B )

Vu
, this must be < B u ) 4.56 fc '
t D1

Find the reinforcements for points of x by using Mu and t

** Perform these calculations in a table form **

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Foundation Engineering / Chapter 6

Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls / Equations
Dr. Adnan A. Basma