Course Instructor: Dr. Sreedeep S.

Course: Geotechnical Engineering II

Course No. : CE 303

Semester: August 2016

 Coulombs earth pressure theory
Based on limit equilibrium approach with or without soil-wall interface friction

Force or moment equilibrium conditions are studied based on statics

Analysis require information on material strength

A condition of limit equilibrium exist through which soil mass behind vertical wall
will slip along a plane inclined at to horizontal

Limit equilibrium : Iterative approach

1) Selection of possible failure mechanism
2) Determination of forces acting on failure surface
3) Use equilibrium equation to determine maximum thrust Slip plane/
4) Slip plane of failure surface is obtained by searching for the failure surface
plane on which maximum thrust acts

Consider vertical frictionless wall
Soil mass is dry, homogenous and horizontal
Slip plane assumed at
H Slip plane/
failure surface
Forces acting
1) Active thrust
2) Self weight
3) Normal force on failure plane N
Free body diagram for above
4) Shear resistance on failure plane T H cot
cot

Consider static equilibrium W

  = Pa+T cos = N sin =
 
 cot
cot  T
 Pa
  =  = N cos + T sin N

At limit equilibrium, T =   =  

tan cos
Pa =  sin tan

 =  cos tan sin

cos + tan sin
 Pa tan tan
tan #tan
W = 1 + tan
tantan
tan

1
Pa = 2 H2 cot tan

Since active case is considered, maximum active thrust for a given inclination to be obtained
dPa 1 2
cot )*+ tan +,)*+ = -
= 2 H cot
d

Rearranging
cos sin = s./ c01
cos sin
in2 = s./
sin
in2
sin 2) = s./
in (1802
(1802)
(1802) = 

= 45+ 2

Inclination of failure plane is same as that obtained from Rankine analysis

 Note that a better failure plane such as circular, logarithmic spiral could have considered

In that case maximum Pa obtained would change

Limit equilibrium solution always gives upper bound solution

In Rankine analysis, stress state in soil mass do not exceed failure stress

These are lower bound solution

If both upper and lower bound solution matches, then the problem is said to have true
solution

The example discussed above has true solution

Lower bound theorem:

If an equilibrium distribution of stress can be found which balances the applied load and
nowhere violates the yield criterion (defined by cohesion, and the angle of internal
friction), the soil mass will not fail, or will be just at the point of failure

Upper bound theorem:

The soil mass will collapse if there is any compatible pattern of plastic deformation for
which the rate of work of the external loads exceeds the part of internal dissipation
Coulombs active earth thrust when wall friction () considered
C1 C2 C3

W Pa
C
H

N
R
H/3
Pa

Pa

Pa, max

Active force considered as thrust

Hence maximum value to be taken
2 3 2 is the critical angle of failure surface
1

Coulombs passive earth thrust when wall friction () considered
C1 C2 C3

Pp
W
C
H
Pp
R
N

H/3

Pp

Pp , min

Passive force considered as resistance

Hence minimum value to be taken
2 3 2 is the critical angle of failure surface
1

 Forces acting on failure wedge

For any , the failure wedge is under the influence of three forces
a) Self weight W of the soil
b) Active of passive force
c) Resultant of normal force and shear force acting on failure plane, R

Force Magnitude Direction

Weight of soil in wedge, W Known, determined from Known, vertically down

geometry
Resultant of normal force Not known Known, inclined at
and shear force acting on with normal to failure
failure plane, R plane
Cohesive force, C Known, c x L Known, parallel to failure
L is the length of failure surface
plane
Pa or Pp Not known Known, at 9 with normal to
wall surface

:;< ./=<>?@A< ?>.A=.0/ @/BC< D<=E<</ E@CC @/F 10.C G .1 - < G <
1 2 4
For soil-concrete interface, 2 < < 3 to 5
Based on Coulombs LE approach the expression for active co-efficient is given as

C
W
H

N

H/3 R
Pa
M

sin2 +
K a= 2
 sin + sin
sin2 sin 1+
sin sin +
0.5
sin
sin cos
a = tan +
tana
0.5
cos sin +
 Based on Coulombs LE approach the expression for passive co-efficient is given as

C
W
H
Pp R
N
H/3
M
sin2
K p= 2
 sin + sin + Wall friction causes failure plane to
sin2 sin + 1 be curved
sin + sin +
Curvature negligible for active case
0.5 Curvature prominent for passive case
sin
sin cos
p = tan
tanp There will be over estimation of Pp
0.5
cos sin + Error is small if < /3
In reality, > /3
 Culmanns graphical method for earth pressure
Culmann (1886) gave graphical method for determining

a) Critical wedge for which Pa or Pp is maximum or minimum, respectively

b) Magnitude of Pa and Pp

using force polygon as required by Coulombs theory

Procedure:
1) Draw retaining wall and soil profile on graph paper to suitable scale

M
O
2) From the heel of the wall O, draw two lines OC and OD
a) OC at with horizontal
b) OD at angle = (O ) with OC

A
C

M = (O )
O

D
 3) Draw trial failure planes OB1, OB2, OB4
B4
B3
B2
B1
A
C

M = (O )
O

4) Compute weights of wedges AOB1 as W1 and so on

D
5) On OC (called weight line) mark OW1, OW2, OW4 to some suitable scale
B4
B3
B2
B1
A
C

W4
H W3
W2
W1
M = (O )
O

OW1, OW2, OW4 represent the weight of the wedges D

6) Through point W1 draw line parallel to OD to intersect OB1 at E1 and so on
B4
B3
B2
B1
A
C
E4
E3
W4
E2
H E1 W3
W2
W1
M = (O )
O

D
7) Join E1, E2 to get Culmanns line
8) Draw a line parallel to OC and tangent to Culmanns line and identify Ea
B4
B3
B2
B1
A
C
Ea E4
E3
W4
E2 Wa
H E1 W3
W2
W1
M = (O )
O

D
9) In this case, E3 coincides with Ea

10) Through Ea, draw a line parallel to OD to intersect OC at Wa

11) In this case, W3 and Wa coincides

12) The active force Pa is given by EaWa
B4
B3
Ba
B2
B1
A
C
Ea E4
E3
W4
E2 Wa
H E1 W3
W2
W1
M = (O )
O

D
13) Join O to Ea and extent it to ground surface to meet at Ba

14) AOBa is the critical active failure wedge Refer problem

15) Inclination of OBa with horizontal gives failure wedge inclination a