'ecture (

GE)$ECH*+C,' +*PU$ F)R $HE DE"+G* )F RE$E*$+)* "$RUC$URE"

J. David Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., P.G.
Karl F. Hasselmann Chair in Geological Engineering Missouri Universit o! "cience # $echnolog !or the course

GE %%& Geotechnical Construction Practice

"tac-ed c clo.ean masonr /alls have .rovided e0cellent service !or man centuries $his is a c clo.ean /all using native roc- and cement mortar, on $ioga Pass high/a , 1ust outside 2osemite *ational Par-, /hich /as com.leted in &3(%

Masonr

/alls can 4e ver resilient

Masonr gravit retaining /all s stems have 4een constructed since ((55 6C in Jericho. 7e can learn much !rom o4serving /hat has survived and /hat has not. $he 4asic o41ective o! earl /alls /as to .rovide militar 4astions and .rotection !rom attac-. Most o! these structures /ere 4uilt using roc- !acing /ith random !ill, as s-etched a4ove.

"tac-ed masonr /all at Macchu Pichu, the lost +nca cit sitting at an altitude o! 8%55 !eet in the Peruvian ,ndes 7ithout mortar or rein!orcement, these /alls have /ithstood centuries o! earth9ua-es, .reci.itation and neglect

,4ove le!t: "tac-ed c clo.ean masonr /all in Guatemala ,4ove right: Undulating masonr roc- retaining /all a4out &55 ears old in Glen/ood ".rings, C). Gravit /alls can /ithstand minor !oundation movements and di!!erential settlement

Masonr retaining /all in Cincinnati accommodates the grade 4 em.lo ing vertical o!!sets, or ;ste.s.< "te.s are usuall em.lo ed 4ecause there is some sacri!ice in load ca.acit i! the /all is 4uilt on=grade. $he di!!erence in cost can 4e su4stantial, /hile the increased active .ressure is usuall 4et/een & and && >, !or ?> to ?5> grades.

Part &

GR,@+$2 7,''"

Gravit 7alls: )ldest and Most

Common 7all " stem

Gravit /alls are designed to use

their e!!ective /eight to resist the lateral .ressures engendered 4 soil 4ac-!ill, considering see.age, surcharge, and earth9ua-e loads

Common !orms o! gravit retaining /all s stems in the modern era

Conventional gravit /alls li-e those sho/n at le!t are graduall 4eing re.laced 4 com4ination s stems, such as the Mechanicall "ta4iliAed Em4an-ment structure, sho/n at right

Four 4asic !ailure modes are considered in the design o! gravit retaining s stems: 4asal slidingB overturning, tiltingC4earing !ailure and glo4al slo.e sta4ilit . 2ouDd 4e sur.rised ho/ o!ten E% is !orgotten or ignored

$he Resultant $hrust, R, must !all /ithin middle third o! the 4ase

F active load against /all 7 F dead /eight o! the /all R F resultant vector thrust
,

$he most 4asic re9uirement o! a gravit /all is that the resultant thrust, R, must .ro1ect /ithin the middle third o! the !ooting

6attered Masonr 7alls

,4ove le!t # right: ,ncient masonr /alls /ere usuall constructed /ith a health 4atter, and drained through natural ga.s. 'o/er le!t: modern e9uivalents are em.lo /ee.holes andCor geomem4rane drains

Roosevelt Dam on the "alt River in ,riAona /as constructed as a c clo.ean masonr gravit dam 4 the U" Reclamation "ervice in &35G=&&

$a.ered or !lared toe

,ncient !orti!ications, li-e Heme1i Castle in Ja.an, /hich dates to &G%(, em.lo ed !lared /alls designed to s.read load over a 4road area, /hile discouraging ascent o! the increasingl stee. !ace

Gravit Retaining 7all "ta4ilit Criteria H Continued

?. Resistance to "liding

= effective thrust of wall, after subtracting the pore pressure

$he 6a less Dam near ,ustin, Penns lvania !ailed 4 4asal sliding along a shale !oundation in &3&&, des.ite the reservoir 4eing lo/ered 4 notching the dam Ile!tJ.

Methods commonl em.lo ed to increase 4ase !riction

$hough not common, 4asal sli. can also occur i! the !ooting em4edment is com.romised and the 4ase o! the !ooting is l ing /ithin saturated ground

, more com.licated chec- is that against 4earing ca.acit and di!!erential settlement, /hich can result 4ecause o! eccentric !orces and inade9uate !ooting design

Passive reaction /edges !orm under di!!ering conditions o! soil !riction. *ote that high !riction soils in!luence a much greater area than lo/er !riction soils

Chart sho/ing decrease in design 4earing ca.acit versus slo.e set4ac- versus .hi angle o! !oundation materials