Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Redistribution Principle Approach for Evaluation of Seismic Active Earth Pressure Behind Retaining Wall

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The knowledge of seismic active earth pressure behind the rigid retaining wall is very essential in the design of retaining wall in earthquake prone regions. Commonly used Mononobe–Okabe (MO) method considers pseudo-static approach. Recently there are many pseudo-dynamic methods used to evaluate the seismic earth pressure. However, available pseudo-static and pseudo-dynamic methods do not incorporate the effect of wall movement on the earth pressure distribution. Dubrova (Interaction between soils and structures, Rechnoi Transport, Moscow, 1963) was the first, who considered such effect and till date, it is used for cohesionless soil, without considering the effect of seismicity. In this paper, Dubrova’s model based on redistribution principle, considering the seismic effect has been developed. It is further used to compute the distribution of seismic active earth pressure, in a more realistic manner, by considering the effect of wall movement on the earth pressure, as it is displacement based method. The effects of a wide range of parameters like soil friction angle (ϕ), wall friction angle (δ), horizontal and vertical seismic acceleration coefficients (kh and kv); on seismic active earth pressure (Kae) have been studied. Results are presented for comparison of pseudo-static and pseudo-dynamic methods, to highlight the realistic, non-linearity of seismic active earth pressure distribution. The current study results in the variation of Kae with kh in the same manner as that of MO method and Choudhury and Nimbalkar (Geotech Geol Eng 24(5):1103–1113, 2006) study. To increase in ϕ, there is a reduction in static as well as seismic earth pressure. Also, by keeping constant ϕ value, as kh increases from 0 to 0.3, earth pressure increases; whereas as δ increases, active earth pressure decreases. The seismic active earth pressure coefficient (Kae) obtained from the present study is approximately same as that obtained by previous researchers. Though seismic earth pressure obtained by pseudo-dynamic approach and seismic earth pressure obtained by redistribution principle have different background of formulation, the final earth pressure distribution is approximately same.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

H:

Height of retaining wall

Kae :

Seismic active earth pressure coefficient

kh :

Seismic acceleration coefficient in horizontal direction

kv :

Seismic acceleration coefficient in vertical direction

Pae :

Seismic active earth pressure

δ:

Wall friction angle

ϕ:

Soil friction angle

Pae/γH:

Normalized seismic active earth pressure

Pa/γH:

Normalized static active earth pressure

z/H:

Normalized depth

F:

Resultant of normal and frictional force

Ψ:

Inclination of the resultant with the normal

Wd :

Weight of the trial wedge

\(W^{{\prime }}_{d}\) :

Resultant weight of trial wedge

λ:

Angle made by resultant with vertical

θ:

Angle made by failure plane with horizontal

References

  1. S. Okabe, General theory on earth pressure and seismic stability of retaining wall and dam. J. Jpn. Soc. Civil Eng. 10(6), 1277–1323 (1924)

    Google Scholar 

  2. N. Mononobe, H. Matsuo, On the determination of earth pressures during earthquakes. Proc. World Eng. Congr. 9, 177–185 (1929)

    Google Scholar 

  3. S.L. Kramer, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 1996)

    Google Scholar 

  4. R. Richards, X. Chi, Seismic lateral pressures in soils with cohesion. J. Geotech. Eng. 120(7), 1230–1251 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. D. Choudhury, S. Nimbalkar, Pseudo-dynamic approach of seismic active earth pressure behind retaining wall. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 24(5), 1103–1113 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. K.S. Subba Rao, D. Choudhury, Seismic passive earth pressures in soils. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 131(1), 131–135 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. D. Choudhury, S. Singh, New approach for estimation of static and seismic active earth pressure. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 24(1), 117–127 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D. Choudhury, T.G. Sitharam, K.S. Subba Rao, Seismic design of earth retaining structures and foundations. Curr. Sci. 87(10), 1417–1425 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  9. D. Choudhury, A.D. Katdare, A. Pain, New method to compute seismic active earth pressure on retaining wall considering seismic waves. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 32, 391–402 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. D. Choudhury, S. Chatterjee, Displacement-based seismic active earth pressure on rigid retaining walls. Electron. J. Geotech. Eng. 11(Bundle C), 0660 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  11. D. Choudhury, S. Chatterjee, Dynamic active earth pressure on retaining structures. Sadhana Acad. Proc. Eng. Sci. 31(6), 721–730 (2006)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. S. Chatterjee, D. Choudhury, Computation of displacement-based seismic active earth pressure for translation mode of wall movement, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Civil Engineering in the New Millennium: Opportunities and Challenges (CENeM-2007), 150 year Anniversary Conference at Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, India, 11–14 January, 2007, Vol. 1 (2007), pp. 506–511

  13. D. Choudhury, K. S. Subba Rao, Displacement-related active earth pressure, in International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering (ACE-2002), IIT Kharagpur, India, January 3–5, 2002, Vol. 2 (2002), pp. 1038–1046

  14. N.M. Newmark, Effects of earthquakes on dams and embankments. Geotechnique XV, 139–160 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. R. Richards, D.G. Elms, Seismic behaviour of gravity retaining walls. J. Geotech. Eng. ASCE 105, 449–464 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  16. G.A. Dubrova, Interaction Between Soils and Structures (Rechnoi Transport, Moscow, 1963), pp. 40–45. (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Z.V. Tsagareli, Experimental investigation of the pressure of a loose medium on retaining walls with a vertical back face and horizontal backfill surface. J. Soil Mech. Found. Eng. 91(4), 197–200 (1965)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. K. Terzaghi, Theoretical Soil Mechanics (Wiley, New York, 1943)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. M.E. Harr, Foundations of Theoretical Soil Mechanics (McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, 1966)

    Google Scholar 

  20. B.M. Das, Principles of Foundation Engineering, 6th edn. (Thomson, Luton, 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  21. S. Bang, Active earth pressure behind retaining walls. J. Geotech. Eng. 111(3), 407–412 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. R.S. Steedman, X. Zeng, The influence of phase on the calculation of pseudo-static earth pressure on a retaining wall. Geotechnique 40(1), 103–112 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. D.M. Dewaikar, S.A. Halkude, Seismic passive/active thrust on retaining wall-point of application. Soils Found. 42(1), 9–15 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. G. Mylonakis, P. Kloukinas, C. Papantonopoulos, An alternative to the Mononobe–Okabe equations for seismic earth pressures. Soil Dyn. Earthq. Eng. 27(10), 957–969 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. S. Ghosh, R.P. Sharma, Pseudo-dynamic active response of non-vertical retaining wall supporting c-ϕ backfill. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 28(5), 633–641 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. S.K. Shukla, S.K. Gupta, N. Sivakugan, Active earth pressure on retaining wall for c-ϕ soil backfill under seismic loading condition. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 135(5), 690–696 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. B.M. Das, V.K. Puri, Static and dynamic active earth pressure. Geotech. Geol. Eng. 14(4), 353–366 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. L.A. Atik, N. Sitar, Seismic earth pressures on cantilever retaining structures. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136(10), 1324–1333 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. V.R. Greco, Seismic active thrust on cantilever walls with short heel. Soil Dyn. Earthq. Eng. 29(2), 249–252 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. H.B. Seed, R.V. Whitman, Design of earth retaining structures for dynamic loads, in ASCE Specialty Conference, Lateral Stresses in the Ground and Design of Earth Retaining Structures, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, pp. 103–147 (1970)

  31. V.R. Greco, Pseudo-static analysis for earth thrust computations. Soils Found. 43(2), 135–138 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. S.K. Shukla, Closure to the Discussion of “Active earth pressure on retaining wall for c-φ soil backfill under seismic loading condition by S.K. Shukla, S.K. Gupta, and N. Sivakugan, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 135(5), 690–696”. J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 136(11), 1585–1585 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Pune, India

    A. D. Maskar & D. R. Phatak

  2. Department of Applied Mechanics, College of Engineering, Pune, India

    S. N. Madhekar

Authors
  1. A. D. Maskar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. N. Madhekar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. R. Phatak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. D. Maskar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Maskar, A.D., Madhekar, S.N. & Phatak, D.R. Redistribution Principle Approach for Evaluation of Seismic Active Earth Pressure Behind Retaining Wall. J. Inst. Eng. India Ser. A 99, 79–93 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-017-0252-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-017-0252-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation