Retaining walls
Retaining walls are structure used to retain soil, rock or other materials in
a vertical condition. Hence they provide a lateral
support to vertical slopes of soils that would
otherwise collapse into a more natural shapes.
Backfills
The material retained are supported by retaining may
wall inclined or Horizontal.
The back fill laying above the Horizontal plane
top of at the elevation of the wall is called surcharge. Gravity Retaining wall
Retaining walls
Classification of Retaining walls
• Gravity wall-Masonry or Plain concrete
• Cantilever retaining wall-RCC
(Inverted T and L)
• Counterfort retaining wall-RCC
• Buttress wall-RCC
Backfill Backfill
Gravity RW Gravity RW L-Shaped RW
T-Shaped RW
Backfill
Counterfort Buttress
Counterfort RW Buttress RW
Earth Pressure (P)
Earth pressure is the pressure exerted by the G
retaining material on the retaining wall. This L
pressure tends to deflect the wall outward.
Types of earth pressure :
Pa
Active earth pressure or earth pressure (Pa) and
Passive earth pressure (Pp).
Active earth pressure tends to deflect the wall
away from the backfill. Variation of Earth
pressure
Soil conditions: The different soil conditions are
• Dry leveled back fill
• Moist leveled backfill
• Submerged leveled backfill
• Leveled backfill with uniform surcharge
• Backfill with sloping surface
Analysis for dry back fills
Maximum pressure at any height, p=ka h
Total pressure at any height from top,
pa=1/2[ka h]h = [ka h2]/2 h
H
Bending moment at any height
M=paxh/3= [ka h3]/6 Pa
Total pressure, Pa= [ka H2]/2 M
Total Bending moment at bottom,
M = [ka H3]/6
kaH
Where, ka= Coefficient of active earth pressure
= (1-sin )/(1+sin )=tan2
= 1/kp, coefficient of passive earth pressure
= Angle of internal friction or angle of repose
=Unit weigh or density of backfill
If = 30 , ka=1/3 and kp=3. Thus ka is 9 times kp
Backfill with sloping surface
pa= ka H at the bottom and is parallel to inclined
surface of backfill
cosθ cos 2θ cos 2φ
ka= cosθ
cosθ + cos θ cos φ
2 2
Where =Angle of surcharge
Total pressure at bottom
=Pa= ka H2/2
Counterfort Retaining wall
CF
Stem
Base Slab
CRW
11
• Same as that of Cantilever Retaining wall Plus
Counterfort
Stem Counterforts
Toe Heel
Base slab
Cross section Plan
12
Design of Stem
BF
p=Kaγh
13
The base width=b =0.6 H to 0.7 H
The projection=1/3 to 1/4 of base width.
The toe slab is subjected to an upward soil reaction
and is designed as a cantilever slab fixed at the
front face of the stem. H
Reinforcement is provided on earth face along the
length of the toe slab.
In case the toe slab projection is large i.e. > b/3,
front counterforts are provided above the toe slab
and the slab is designed as a continuous horizontal
slab spanning between the front counterforts.
b
14
Design of Heel Slab
BF
15
• The counterforts are subjected to outward
reaction from the stem.
• This produces tension along the outer sloping
face of the counterforts.
• The inner face supporting the stem is in
compression. Thus counterforts are designed as a
T-beam of varying depth.
• The main steel provided along the sloping face
shall be anchored properly at both ends. C T
• The depth of the counterfort is measured
perpendicular to the sloping side.
d
16
-M
+M
Important points
•Loads on Wall
•Deflected shape
COUNTERFORT
STEM •Nature of BMs
•Position of steel
-M •Counterfort details
HEEL SLAB
TOE +M
17
Cantilever RW design
Design a cantilever retaining wall (T type) to retain earth for a
height of 4m. The backfill is horizontal. The density of soil is
18kN/m3. Safe bearing capacity of soil is 200 kN/m2. Take the
co-efficient of friction between concrete and soil as 0.6. The
angle of repose is 30°. Use M20 concrete and Fe415 steel.
Solution
Data: h' = 4m, SBC= 200 kN/m2, = 18 kN/m3, μ=0.6,
φ=30°
18
To fix the height of retaining
wall [H] 200
H= h' +Df
Depth of foundation
h1 h
H
2
SBC 1 sin
Df =
1 sin
Df
= 1.23m say 1.2m , b
Therefore H= 5.2m
19
Thickness of base slab=(1/10 200
to1/14)H
0.52m to 0.43m, say 450 mm
Width of base slab=b = (0.5 to 0.6)
H H=5200 mm
2.6m to 3.12m say 3m
tp= 750 mm
Toe projection= pj= (1/3 to ¼)H
1m to 0.75m say 0.75m 450
b= 3000 mm
Provide 450 mm thickness for the
stem at the base and 200 mm at the
top
20
Design of stem
Pa
M
Df
kah
Or Mu =
[kaH3]/6
21
Curtailment of bars-Stem
Dist.
from
h1 top Every
alternate
Ast/2 h2 bar cut
h1c
Ldt
Ast
h2
Ast/2 Ast
Provid
Ast ed
22
200
H=5200 mm
tp= 750 mm
450
b= 3000 mm
23
200
H=5200 mm
x x
b= 3000 mm
24
Distance BM about A
Load Magnitude, kN
from A, m kN-m
Stem W1 0.2x4.75x1x25 = 23.75 1.1 26.13
½ x0.25x4.75x1x25 0.75 + 2/3x0.25
Stem W2 13.60
= 14.84 =0.316
B. slab W3 3.0x0.45x1x25=33.75 1.5 50.63
Back fill, 1.8x4.75x1x18
2.1 323.20
W4 = 153.9
Total ΣW= 226.24 ΣMR=413.55
Earth Pre.
PH =0.333x18x5.22/2 H/3 =5.2/3 MO=140.05
=PH
25
W4 H
x1 W1
h
W
W2
x2 Pa
R
H/3
W3
T
e b/6
x b/2
b
Forces acting
0.75m 0.45m 1.8m
Pmin. on the wall
Pmax 30.16 and the
kN/m2
120.6 24.1 pressure
kN/m2 97.99
22.6 below the wall
Pressure below the Retaining Wall
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Check for overturning
FOS = ΣMR/ MO= 2.94 >1.55 safe
Check for Sliding
FOS = μ ΣW/ PH= 2.94 >1.55 safe
Check for subsidence
X=ΣM/ ΣW= 1.20 m > b/3 and e= b/2 –x = 3/2 –
1.2 = 0.3m < b/6
Pressure below the base slab
PMax=120.66 kN/m2 < SBC, safe
PMin = 30.16 kN/m2 > zero, No tension or
separation, safe
27
0.75m 0.45m 1.8m
30.16 kN/m2
120.6 kN/m2
24.1
97.99
22.6
Pressure below the Retaining Wall
Magnitude, Distance BM, MC,
Load
kN from C, m kN-m
Backfill 153.9 0.9 138.51
0.45x1.8x25
Heel slab 0.9 18.23
= 27.25
Pressure dist. 30.16 x 1.8
0.9 -48.86
rectangle =54.29
Pressure dist. ½ x 24.1
1/3x1.8 -13.01
Triangle x1.8=21.69
Total Load Total ΣMC=94.86
28
Design of heel slab-Contd.,
200
H=5200 mm
x
b= 3000 mm
OR Mu=0.87 fy Ast[d - (fyAst/fckb)]
29
Design of heel
slab-Contd., 200
H=5200 mm
Ldt=752
x
30
Check for shear at junction
200
(Tension)
Maximum shear =V=105.17 kN,
VU,max= 157.76 kN,
Nominal shear stress =ζv=Vu/bd
= 101.52 x 1000 / 1000x400 = x
0.39 MPa
x
To find ζc: 100Ast/bd = 0.27%,
From IS:456-2000, ζc= 0.37 MPa
ζv slightly greater than ζc,
Hence slightly unsafe in shear.
31
Bending
Distance
Load Magnitude, kN moment,
from C, m
MC, kN-m
Toe slab 0.75x0.45x25 = 0.75/2 -3.164
Pressure distribution,
97.99x0.75 0.75/2 27.60
rectangle
Pressure distribution, ½ x22.6
2/3x1=0.75 4.24
triangle x1.0.75
Total Load at Total BM
ΣM=28.67
junction at junction
32
Design of toe slab
200
Ldt
33
Design of toe slab-Contd.,
200
x
d
x Ldt
34
Construction joint
A key 200 mm wide x 50 mm deep
with nominal steel
#10 @ 250, 600 mm length in two rows
Drainage
100 mm dia. pipes as weep holes at 3m c/c at
bottom
Also provide 200 mm gravel blanket at the back of
the stem for back drain.
35
Drawing and detailing
#12 @ 180
#10 @ 140
#12 @ 90
#16 @ 190
#10 @ 140 C/S OF WALL L/S ELEVATION OF WALL
Drawing and detailing
BASE SLAB DETAILS
BOTTOM
STEEL
PLAN OF BASE SLAB
TOP
STEEL
37
