l

q2
q1
h1

Asoil

l1

l3

H=

5.8

=
=
l=
h=

0
0
20
5.8

deg
deg
m
m

q1 =
from

5
0m

kPa
to

q2 =

kPa

H=

3.7

=
=
la =
lb =
h1 =

0
35
8.5
2.50
5

deg
deg
m
m
m

q1 =

30

kPa

q2 =

30

kPa

l1 =

20 m

l2

0.0

Asoil =

l2

l3

h1

l4

(deg)

(m)

(m)

(m)

(m)

(m2)

(kN/m)

(m)

75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35

1.6
2.1
2.7
3.3
4.1
4.9
5.8
6.9
8.3

1.6
2.1
2.7
3.3
4.1
4.9
5.8
6.9
8.3

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

1.6
2.1
2.7
3.3
4.1
4.9
5.8
6.9
8.3

4.51
6.12
7.84
9.71
11.78
14.11
16.82
20.05
24.02

7.8
10.6
13.5
16.7
20.3
24.3
29.0
34.6
41.4

6.0
6.2
6.4
6.7
7.1
7.6
8.2
9.0
10.1

l4

la

lb

q2

q1
h2
H

A1

h3
h1

l1
l2

h2 = 5.952

1.86
5.45

A1 =

25.295

l1

h3

l2

(deg)

(m)

(m)

(m)

(m )

(kN/m)

(m)

75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35

1.0
1.3
1.7
2.1
2.6
3.1
3.7
4.4
5.3

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

1.0
1.3
1.7
2.1
2.6
3.1
3.7
4.4
5.3

1.83
2.49
3.19
3.95
4.79
5.74
6.85
8.16
9.78

29.7
40.4
51.8
64.1
77.7
93.1
111.0
132.3
158.5

3.8
3.9
4.1
4.3
4.5
4.8
5.2
5.8
6.5

Date:

Apr-16

Existing Condition
Type of Wall
= virtual back' of R.C. inverted T-shaped cantilever
Angle of friction, '
=
34
deg
Mobilised angle of wall friction,
=
1/2 '
(GEOGUIDE 1, Table 14)
=
17.0 deg

The backfill slope angle = 35 deg

or the backfill slope, whichever is smaller

Trial Wedge Analysis

wedge

(deg)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45

wedge W+q
1
70.2

c1'

3.48
9.94
14.62
17.01
18.50
19.54
20.24
20.79
21.09

19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19

u1h

u2h

66.2 3.965
188.8 11.03
277.8 11.03
323.3 11.03
351.5 11.03
371.2 11.03
384.6 11.03
395.0 11.03
400.7 11.03

c.L

'

c2'

L2

(kN/m2)

(m)

4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4

6.789
9.669
5.074
2.403
0.270
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

2.687
3.000
3.426
4.029
4.935
4.400
3.836
3.423
3.111

41
54
37
30
26
22
19
17
16

34
34
34
34
34
34
34
34
34

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45

39
44
49
54
59
64
69
74
79

Pah

Pav

12

Pa
13.0

(kN/m) (deg)

u1v

u2v

cLh

cLv

Rah

Rav

148.4 148.4

0.0

13.0

40

16

13

Ra
21

(deg)

199.9

148.4 148.4

0.0

26.2

53

97

94

135

88

27

288.9

148.4 148.4

0.0

39.8

10

36

148

171

226

139

42

4
5
6
7
8
9

334.3
362.5
382.2
395.6
406.0
411.7

148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

54.0
69.2
85.7
103.9
124.5
148.4

10
11
11
11
11
11

28
23
19
16
13
11

152
139
119
96
72
47

209
231
244
250
250
241

258
269
272
268
260
246

142
128
108
85
61
36

43
39
33
26
19
11

148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4
148.4

'

L1
(m)

(m2) (kN/m3) (kN/m) (kN/m) (kN/m2)

(deg) (kN/m2) (deg)

17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0
17.0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Hgw
(m)

(m)

5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50

5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50
5.50

Maximum
(from graph)
Pamax 148.2

92.0
144.9 Pahmax 141.7
148.2 Pavmax 43.3
133.7
113.2
88.9
63.4
37.6

Determination of maximum Pa
160.0
148.2

144.9

140.0

133.7

120.0

113.2

Pa

100.0

92.0

88.9

80.0

63.4

60.0
40.0

37.6

20.0

13.0

0.0
90

85

80

75

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

(kN/m) (kN/m)

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

TRIAL WEDGE SPREADSHEET EXPLANATION

This spreadsheet produces calculations for the maximum resultant active pressure (Pa) of retaining walls
using the trial wedge method. Reference is made to Figures 21, 22 and 39 of Geoguide 1, 2nd Ed. (1993).
Shaded cells indicate calculated values whereas unshaded cells indicate manually input values. The upper
portion of the spreadsheet replaces the normal graphical constructions performed in the trial wedge method
to calculate the resultant active pressure on a plane.

q
W
c'L

+
Pa

+'

U1

Hgw

Ra
U2

Initial Input
The required input for this spreadsheet is as follows:

q
c'
L
'

B
H
Hgw

angle to the horizontal of the chosen trial failure surface,

area of the wedge of soil bounded by the chosen trial failure surface and the retaining
structure,
unit weight of soil,
surcharge experienced by the wedge of soil,
effective cohesion of the soil,
length of chosen trial failure surface,
effective angle of shearing resistance of the soil
angle of action of the active pressure to the normal of the plan upon which the active
pressure of the retained soil acts
angle to the vertical of the plane upon which the active pressure of the retained soil acts,
base length of the retaining structure,
retained height of the soil plus the toe depth of the retaining structure,
height of groundwater above the base of the retaining structure,

Determination of Maximum Pa
The value of the force acting on the retaining structure due to active earth pressure, Pa is calculated from
the initial input and the following formulae using its components;
tan( + ')(u2h - u1h - c'Lh ) - u1v - u2v -c'Lv + (W + q)
tan(+) + tan (+ ')
Pahtan(+)
Pav =
Pah =

The components of the forces involved in the calculation of Pa are calculated and shown in the second
table on the spreadsheet.
The forces involved in the calculation of Pa are:
W+q
u1
u2v

weight of the soil wedge plus the surcharge influencing the wedge,
horizontal component of pore water pressure for both locations,

vertical component of pore water pressure at the trial failure surface,

c'Lh

horizontal component of the effective cohesion multiplied by the length of the chosen trial
failure surface,

c'Lv

vertical component of the effective cohesion multiplied by the length of the chosen trial failure
surface,

Rah

horizontal component of the resultant resisting force acting on the chosen trial failure surface
due to active pressure,

Rav

Ra
Pah

vertical component of the resultant resisting force acting on the chosen trial failure surface
due to active pressure,
resultant resisting force acting on the chosen trial failure surface due to active pressure,

horizontal component of the force acting on the retaining structure due to active earth
pressure,

Pav

vertical component of the force acting on the retaining structure due to active earth
pressure,

The results for Pa are shown on the graph. The graphing of Pa allows the identification of the maximum
value, should the critical failure surface lie between the chosen trial failure surfaces. The maximum value of
Pa observed from the graph is entered as Pamax, to the right of the second table. This is then used in the
final calculation for the factors of safety.

Other Calculated Values

Certain values are required to be calculated as intermediate steps in the overall process. These are:
W

+ '

self-weight of the soil wedge. Equal to the area multiplied by the unit weight (buoyant unit
weight of soil used for submerged area of wedge),
angle normal to the chosen trial failure surface,
angle at which Ra acts,