Purpose of calculation:

The details of a cantilever retaining wall are shown below, is the design of the wall satisfactory?
Calculation Reference
Craig Soil Mechanics. R.F. Craig
Calculation Validation
Check against a worked example in the reference above.
Calculation Units

SI

t
b
Surcharge Pressure

Q=

10000 N/m

Thickness of the Stem

t1 =

0.3 m

Thickness of the Base

t2 =

0.4 m

Length of Backfill

w1 =

1.75 m

Height of Wall from the Base

h1 =

5.4 m

Width of the Base

b1 =

3m

Characteristics of Backfill
Drained (effective stress) Shear Strength Parameter

c'

0 N/m

Unit Weight of the backfill

17000 N/m

Drained (effective stress) Shear Strength Parameter

' =

36

Characteristics of Concrete
Unit Weight of Concrete

concrete =

23500 N/m

Angle of friction between the base and the foundation soil is

27

Active earth pressure coefficient

Ka =

###

= 1 - sin[{'} /
###
180] } /
1 + sin[{

[Eqn.
1]

'

180]
### N ### = KaQh1
[Eqn. 2]

Horizontal Forces

FH1 =
FH2 =

### N ### = 0.5Kah12

[Eqn. 3]
Sum of Horizontal Forces
FH =

### N ### = FH1 + FH2

[Eqn. 4]
Vertical Forces
Fstem =

35250 N ### = (h1 - t2)t1 concrete

[Eqn. 5]

Fbase =

28200 N ### = t2b1 concrete

[Eqn. 6]

Fsoil = 148750 N ### = (h1 - t2)w1

[Eqn. 7]
Sum of Vertical Forces
FV = 212200 N ###= Fsoil + Fbase + Fstem
[Eqn. 8]
Lever
LH1 =
LH2 =
Lstem =
Lbase =
Lsoil =
Moments

MH1 =

= h1
### m ###
2
= h1
### m ###

[Eqn.
9]
[Eqn.
10]

3
= b1 - w1 t1
[Eqn.
### m ###
11]
2
= b1
[Eqn.
### m ###
12]
2
= w1 + (b1 - w1)
### m ###
13]
2
= FH1LH1 [Eqn.
### N.m
###
14]

MH2 =

### N.m
###

MH =

### N.m
###

[Eqn.

Mstem =

= FstemLstem
### N.m
###
17]

[Eqn.

Mbase =

= FbaseLbase
### N.m
###
18]

[Eqn.

Msoil =
MV =
M=

= FsoilLsoil [Eqn.
### N.m
###
19]
### N.m
### = Mstem + Mbase + Msoil
[Eqn. 20]
### N.m
###
= MV - MH [Eqn.
21]

Lever arm of base resultant

L=

### m ###
=M

FoS against overturning

FV
= MV
###
Eccentricity of base reaction
MH
FoS =

###

[Eqn.
22]
[Eqn.
23]

Note, the resultant acts within the middle third of the base

e=

### m ###
= b1 - L
2

[Eqn.
24]

Maximum and minimum base pressures

pmax =
pmin =

= FV
### N/m
###
b1
= FV
### N/m
###
b1

1 6e
+ b
1
1 6e
- b
1

[Eqn.
25]
[Eqn.
26]

FoS against sliding

FoS =

###

###

= FVtan[{} /
###
180]
FH

[Eqn.
27]

Table of compatible units

wall satisfactory?

Length
Fundamental m

Area

Volume

Time

Angle

Mass

Velocity

Acceleration

kg

m/s

m/s

SI

kg

m/s

m/s

SI (mm)

mm

mm

mm

mm/s

mm/s

US Unit (ft)

ft

ft

ft

slug

ft/s

ft/s

US Unit (in)

in

in

in

lbf.s/in

in/s

in/s

Force

Unit Weight

Moment

kg.m/s

N/m

N.m

N/m

N.m

N/mm

N.mm

lbf

lbf/ft

lbf.ft

lbf

lbf/in

lbf.in

LDForce
kg/s
N/m
N/mm
lbf/ft
lbf/in

Work
kg.m/s.
J
mJ
ft.lb
in.lbf

Energy
kg.m/s.
J
mJ
ft.lb
in.lbf

Power
kg.m/s
W
mW
ft.lb/s
in.lbf/s

Density
kg/m
kg/m
g/mm
slug/ft
lbf.s/in

Stress
kg/m.s
N/m
MPa
lbf/ft
psi

x along length

Page 10

x along length

Page 11