Analysis of Active Earth Pressure Behind Rigid Retaining Walls Considering Curved Slip Surface

TL;DR: This study develops a novel analytical approach to predict active earth pressure on rigid retaining walls, considering curved slip surfaces, and derives a formula to estimate earth pressure distribution and stresses within the failure zone, validated against experimental data and existing theories.

Abstract: This study investigates the active earth pressure exerted on rigid vertical retaining walls subjected to translational motion, utilizing a two-dimensional analytical approach that does not rely on prior assumptions regarding the shape of the soil arch (or the trajectory of the minor principal stress). This method significantly differs from the existing approach that combines soil arch shape and horizontal flat-element analysis. Various failure surfaces were examined and particular attention was given to a parabolic surface, which was extensively discussed. The proposed formula enables the prediction of earth pressure distribution on the wall and stresses within the failure zone. Moreover, the analytical expression for the trajectory of the minor principal stress within the failure zone was derived from the stress equations. In order to verify the accuracy and applicability of the proposed analysis, a comparative assessment is conducted against experimental data and existing theories. The proposed earth pressure distribution aligns well with the experimental data. Finally, a concise yet pragmatic formulation was developed to facilitate the estimation of active earth pressure in the field.