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solid element
(a)
(b)
Introduction
So far, in Soil Mechanics I and Soil Mechanics II, we have only been calculating the
vertical stress in soils. This is the stress caused by the weight of soil and buildings
above.
But this vertical stress also causes a horizontal stress in the soil. During the design of
retaining walls this horizontal stress in the soil is called the lateral earth pressure.
In this lecture we will assume that the water table is deep and total stresses equal
effective stresses.
Vertical stress v
As you learned in Soil Mechanics I the total vertical stress v in a soil is caused by
the weight of soil and buildings, etc. above. We calculate the vertical total stress v in
a soil simply by multiplying the bulk weight density of the soil bulk (kN/m3) by the
height of soil above. We then subtract the pore pressure to find the vertical effective
stress v. If we drew a graph of vertical effective stress v against depth and the
pore pressure were zero we would have a straight line (Figure 1). The vertical
effective stress v increases with depth.
effective stress
bulk weight
density of soil
bulk (kN/m3)
h
v
(equation 1)
increasing
depth d
depth d
v = bulk d
(pore pressure zero)
For most soils this would give a K0 value of between 0.25 and 0.65, which means
from equation 1 that the in-situ horizontal effective stress h (or earth pressure) is
generally about 0.25 to 0.65 times the in-situ vertical effective stress v.
The distribution of in-situ horizontal effective stress h with depth would look
something like the example in Figure 3 (assuming pore pressures are zero). The insitu horizontal effective stress h still increases as a straight line but is always less
than the vertical effective stress v as determined by the in-situ earth pressure
coefficient.
* this equation will generally give a good approximation for K0 for most soils but will not be appropriate for very dense
soils and in particular stiff clays.
effective stress
effective stress
wall allowed to
move forward
until soil fails
shear
failure
= 35
increasing
depth d
K0 = 1 sin
= 0.426
v
depth d
Ka =
h = 0.426 v
effective stress
wall supported
so that it does
not move
v
depth d
K0 = 1 sin
= 0.426
depth d
1 sin
1 + sin
= 0.271
Imagine that we built a wall in the soil in Figure 3 and excavated away the soil in front
of it. Imagine also that we supported the wall so that it could not move (Figure 4). The
earth pressure on the back of the wall equals the in-situ horizontal effective stress h
in the soil (plus any pore pressure).
= 35
v no change
= 35
h = 0.426 v
= earth pressure on
back of wall (not including
any pore pressure)
1 sin
Active earth pressure coefficient K a =
(assuming zero wall friction)
1 + sin
1 + sin
1 sin
When the earth pressure is above the active earth pressure, this is enough to support
the weight of soil behind the wall. But when the earth pressure reduces to the active
value, it is too low to support the weight of the soil behind the wall and the soil fails in
shear and moves downwards.
Again, the vertical effective stress v does not change because the weight of the soil
is the same. Only the horizontal effective stress h or earth pressure changes when
we push the wall into the soil.
effective stress
wall pushed
back into soil
until soil fails
shear
failure
= 35
1 + sin
Kp =
1 sin
depth d
= 3.69
Remember that the vertical effective stress v does not change because the weight
of the soil is the same. Only the horizontal effective stress h or earth pressure
changes when the wall moves.
h = 0.271 v
= active earth pressure on
back of wall (not including any
pore pressure)
v
no change
h = 3.69 v
= passive earth
pressure on back of wall
(not including any pore
pressure)