Pressures Acting on Retaining Walls

Description
In Civil Engineering, retaining walls can be used to create two different ground surface
elevations that are adjacent to each other. By building retaining walls, it is possible to change a
sloped ground surface into one that is flat. Some common structures in which retaining walls are
used include highways, basements, and flood control channels.

Soil behind a retaining wall can create both horizontal and vertical forces on the wall. The
horizontal pressure acting on the wall is proportional to the vertical stress in the soil. When
designing a retaining wall, it is important to calculate all forces acting on the wall to ensure that
failure will not occur.

Types of Lateral Earth Pressures

There are four types of lateral earth pressures that act on retaining walls, at-rest, active, passive
and surcharge.

At-Rest Lateral Earth Pressure

The pressure that is applied to a retaining wall by the soil in front of and behind it with minimal
wall movement occurring is called at-rest lateral earth pressure. Figure 1 illustrates how at-rest
lateral earth pressure acts on a retaining wall.

Figure 1: At-Rest Lateral Earth Pressure Acting on a Retaining Wall

Active Lateral Earth Pressure
If the at-rest lateral earth pressures cause a retaining wall to move, the horizontal pressure behind
the wall will reduce. With enough displacement, the horizontal soil pressure reaches a minimum
value. This minimum pressure is called the active lateral earth pressure.

Passive Lateral Earth Pressure

When movement of a retaining wall occurs, the horizontal pressure in front of the wall will
increase as the soil compacts. If enough displacement occurs, the horizontal pressure in front of
the wall reaches a maximum value and is called the passive lateral earth pressure. This pressure
helps resist further movement of the retaining wall to help prevent failure of the wall. Figure 2
illustrates how active and passive lateral earth pressures act on a retaining wall.

Figure 2: Active and Passive Lateral Earth Pressures Acting on a Retaining Wall

Surcharge Lateral Earth Pressure

A uniform vertical pressure applied to the ground surface behind a wall is called a surcharge
load. This surcharge load will result in an additional horizontal pressure on the wall called a
surcharge lateral earth pressure. Figure 3 illustrates how surcharge lateral earth pressures act on
a retaining wall.
Figure 3: Surcharge Lateral Earth Pressure Acting on a Retaining Wall