Analysis of Cantilever Retaining Wall k' := 1000lbf ft

Analyze and verify the capacity and the loads applied on the indicated retaining wall of the figure below given that it
retains granular soil (Use the Coulomb Formula for Active soil pressure). For the soil, a triaxial test has been conducted
and the results of the axial and radial stress are provided. Loads, dimensions and all necessary data are given.
tonf tonf
A := 3.5 = 48.61 psi R := 1.75
2 2
ft ft
Results of soil triaxial test
lbf lbf
conc := 150 soil := 125
3 3
ft ft
Clcover := 2in

tonf fy := 60ksi
ASP := 2 = 27.78 psi
2 f'c := 3ksi
ft

d b_ini := 0.875in s := 0in

ini bar diam of #7 surcharge
b := 1ft
:= 90deg
we consider strips of 1 ft
O := 3ft E := 5.5ft V := 1.5ft U := 2ft

:= 18.4deg L := 15ft T := 1ft F := 1.5ft

Base := O + E + F = 10 ft F' := F T = 0.5 ft

:= 17deg
angle og ext. friction
lbf
CA := 950
2
ft

CA is coeff of adhesion
1) Determining angle of Internal friction, beta angle, angle of failure plain, the Active Pressure (Rankine or Coulomb) and the
Total Active Pressure Resultant:
A
:= asin = 30 deg = 30 deg H := L + V + E tan( ) = 18.3296 ft H = 18.3296 ft
A
2 2 + R := atan
H L V
= 18.4 deg
E

These are Rankine's formulas.

Another one is by Coulomb
that is applied below

2 2
sin( + ) b Ka soil H
Ka := Ka = 0.3987 Ra := Ra = 8371.46 lbf
2 2
2 sin( + ) sin( )
sin( ) sin( ) 1 +
sin( ) sin( + )
2) Solving for loads and moments generated:
Vertical components:
1ft ( H V L) E soil
M sl_v2 := Psl_v2
E
Psl_v2 := Psl_v2 = 0.63 kip M sl_v2 = 1.15 k'
2
3

M sl_v1 := Psl_v1
E
Psl_v1 := 1ft ( L) ( E) soil Psl_v1 = 10.31 kip M sl_v1 = 28.36 k'
2
M Base := PBase
Base
PBase := 1ft V Base conc PBase = 2.25 kip M Base = 11.25 k'
2
M Stem_2 := PStem_2 E + T +
F' F'
PStem_2 := 1ft L conc PStem_2 = 0.56 kip M Stem_2 = 3.75 k'
2 3

M Stem_1 := PStem_1 E +
T
PStem_1 := 1ft T L conc PStem_1 = 2.25 kip M Stem_1 = 13.5 k'
2

M sc_toe := Psc_toe Base

O
Psc_toe := 1ft O U soil Psc_toe = 0.75 kip M sc_toe = 6.38 k'
2

M sc_v := Psc_v
E
Psc_v := 1ft s E soil Psc_v = 0 kip M sc_v = 0 k'

2

Pvert := Psl_v1 + Psl_v2 + Psc_v + PBase + PStem_1 + PStem_2 + Psc_toe Pvert = 16.754 kip

M Vtot := M Stem_1 + M Stem_2 + M Base + M sc_v + M sl_v1 + M sl_v2 + M sc_toe M Vtot = 64.387 k'

Horizontal components:
M sc_h := Psc_h
L + V
Psc_h := 1ft soil Ka s ( L + V) Psc_h = 0 kip M sc_h = 0 k'
2
2
Psoil_h1 = 6.78364 kip M soil_h1 := Psoil_h1
( L + V) L + V
Psoil_h1 := 1ft soil Ka M soil_h1 = 37.31 k'
2 3

Psoil_h2 = 0.75221 kip M soil_h2 := Psoil_h2

( L + V) ( H L V) L + V
Psoil_h2 := 1ft soil Ka M soil_h2 = 6.206 k'
2 2
2
M soil_t := Psoil_t
U U
Psoil_t := 1ft soil Ka Psoil_t = 0.09967 kip M soil_t = 0.066 k'
2
3

Phoriz := 1 Psoil_h1 + Psoil_h2 + Psc_h + Psoil_t M Htot := M sc_h + M soil_h1 + M soil_h2 + M soil_t
Phoriz = 7.44 kip M Htot = 43.45 k'

Summing up moments for overturning:

M overt := M Vtot + M Htot M overt = 107.84 k'
3) We continue with calculations for overturning and sliding at this stage:
Estimating safety indicator against overturning and verifying that that the resultant is within kern
(middle third of footings length):

(Pvert) B M Vtot
>2
(Pvert) Base M Vtot
= 2.37 SI ot = "OK"

(Pvert)
(Pvert)
SI ot =
M Htot M Htot

M overt Or Percentagewise.... M overt

= 6.44 ft = 0.644 Res 3rd = "Kern"
Pvert Pvert Base
Estimating safety against sliding (Use delta in tan for keyless, phi for keyed):

Rav := Ra sin( ) Rav = 2447.58 lbf Rah := Ra cos( ) Rah = 8005.67 lbf

(Pvert + Rav) tan() + CA Base (Pvert + Rav) tan( ) + b CA Base

SI slide = > 1.5 = 2.5704452
Rah Rah
SI slide = "OK"

4) Calculating eccentricity and bearing stress: First, the distance from the heel to the
resultant of vertical forces, then the eccentricity, and then the FP bearing.
Vu := PStem + PBase + Psc_v + Psl_v1 + Psl_v2 + Psc_toe Vu = 16.754 kip

M overt
d heel_res := d heel_res = 6.44 ft
Vu
2
AF := Base 1 ft AF = 10 ft
Base
ecc := d heel_res ecc = 1.44 ft
2
Vu 6Vu ecc
Fp_toe := A + Fp_toe = 3.12 ksf
F 1ft Base2
Vu 6Vu ecc
Fp_heel := Fp_heel = 0.23 ksf
AF 2
1ft Base

5) Sizing the depth of the stem:

Note: For the size of the stem we do not apply safety factors as we would do for "strength design", that is for rebars in the
concrete. Instead, we use the loads as estimated because that will be sufficient for deformation and displacement.
In the following formula we see the 1 ft multiplied by the specific weight of soil and then multiplied by the active K factor and
in the larger parenthesis we see the following:
Surcharge height multiplied by wall height and then by midheight where the resultant of that rectangular form would be
located
Wall height multiplied by wall height (as rotated horizontally) divided by 2 for rectangular form, multiplied by 1/3 of wall height
which will be the location of the resultant.
Triangular formation of Soil above the wall is treated in a mafhion similar to the surcharge.

L2 L2 L ( H L V) L2
M u := b soil Ka s + + M u = 33.16 k'
2 2 3 2 2
Determine the 1 value and the coefficient k10 for
the given concrete and steel grades: 1 = 0.85

(
k 10 := .177 f'c 1 1 .115 1 ) k 10 = 0.41 ksi

Calculate the distance necessary to locate the rebars within the

stem: (Note that for "b" we take 1 ft strips)

2 Mu Mu
b d > d := d = 9.02 in
k 10 b k 10

Given the above mentioned value for stem depth, we should also consider 2" for clear cover (The minimum cover for rebar #6
or above is 2in (ACI 7.7.1)) + the diameter of horizontal rebars + the radius of vertical rebars. We give approximate estimates
for initial values of bar diameter to be used:
 d Clcover 3 d b_ini
d tot := round + + in d tot = 12 in
in in 2in
6) Designing and determining location for reinforcement. Here we consider safety factor of 1.6 for soil and overburden
pressures that will be applied for the design for strength, i.e. the rebars that we will include in our final product.
:= 1.6
ksf
fh := soil Ka Take y at top surface of base: .25 L fh = 0.08
We give an array of values of depth ft
based on the total depth divided in quarters: y := .5 L
.75 L
Pu = fh s + y +
( H L V) 1.0L

2
Due to the inclination of the soil we average the max
0.37 height above the heel to the height at the stem's tip.

Pu := fh s + y +
( H L V) 0.67
Pu = 0.97 ksf
2
1.27

1.21
y 2 3 2 7.66
My =
y ( H L V) y
M y := b fh s
+ + k'
2 6 4 23.54
53.06
0.03
15 My 1 0.21 in2
As_est := As_est =
0.65 ft
12d fy b 1.47

The above mentioned values for area of steel correspond to the depths given in the array of values "y". It is however
necessary that we apply no value less than the minimum at any depth even though the calculations may yield cross
sectional areas that are less than the As_min defined by the ACI codes.
2
in
As_min := .0033 d As_min = 0.36
ft
We can pick the maximum of the array of values to start with at the very bottom of the stem.
At various heignt (or depth) values of the stem we can we can specify different "" distribution according to the cross
sectional area of steel needed.
Bar Designation Weight per
157.03
2 A 24.89 Ab6
=
Number foot (lbf) Diameter db Area As Perimeter
Ab6 := .44in b6
3 0.376 0.375 0.11 1.178 in = 14.78 in
4 0.668 0.500 0.20 1.571 As_est 8.1 As_min
5 1.043 0.625 0.31 1.963 d b6 := .76in 3.59
6 1.502 0.750 0.44 2.356
7 2.044 0.875 0.60 2.749
8 2.670 1.000 0.79 3.142
Ab5 := .31in
2 110.64
9 3.400 1.128 1.00 3.544
Ab5 17.53
= Ab5
10 4.318 1.270 1.27 3.990
in
d b5 := .625in As_est 5.7 = 10.41 in
11 5.304 1.410 1.56 4.430
14 7.650 1.693 2.25 5.319 As_min
18 13.600 2.257 4.00 7.091 2.53

Take #6 @ 4"c/c at full depth. Above three quarters depth we see that the spacing can be modified to 8" c/c and by
midheight a value that corresponds to the As_min can be applied, i.e. #6 @ 12" c/c: Note: Larger spans were possible but it
is prefferable to have a sensible geometry that willl minimize the possibilities of mistakes. In this case we have a beautifully set
modular arrangement of 4", 8", and 12",
Selecting the remaining reinforcement (rebars and placement):
We need to place vertical reinforcement to support the horizontal bars on the exterior face of the retaining wall. If L>14ft we
use #5@18in c/c, otherwise we use #4@18in c/c.
The horizontal shrinkage and temperature reinforcement required for the stem and the footing is given by the following:

(.002 b dtot) in
2
Ash := Ash = 0.29
ft ft

Walls thicker than 10 in require two layers of reinforcement. Ab5

= 12.92 in
Therefore: Take 1 #5@12in c/c. Ash

Given the above bar diameters we can establish the precise dimension of the cantilever wall's effective depth:

d b6
d := d tot Clcover d b5 d = 8.99 in
2
The shear experienced at the base of the wall is:
L
2
Vu := fh s L + b Vu = 8.97 kip
2
Therefore, the shear capacity should exceed the experienced shear: := .75
Vn = 2 ( b d ) f'c Vn = 8.87 kip

Vcond = "Redesign"
Way too close, ...It is a matter of one half inch extra thickness on the wall (d_tot becomes 12.5) for the shear problem to be
resolved