Cantilever walls

Walls of this type are mainly of steel sheet piling and are used only when the retained height of
soil is relatively low. In sands and gravels these walls may be used as permanent structures but in
general they are used only for temporary support. The stability of the wall is due entirely to passive
resistance mobilized in front of the wall.

The principal limit state is instability of the retained soil mass causing rotation or translation of the
wall. Limit states (4) to (7) listed for gravity walls (Section 6.6) should also be considered. The
mode of failure is by rotation about a point O near the lower end of the wall as shown in Figure
6.22(a). Consequently, passive resistance acts in front of the wall above O and behind the wall
below O, as shown in Figure 6.22(b), thus providing a fixing moment. However this pressure
distribution is an idealization as there is unlikely to be a complete change in passive resistance
from the front to the back of the wall at point O. To allow for over-excavation it is recommended
that the soil level in front of the wall should be reduced by 10% of the retained height, subject to
a maximum of 0.5 m. A minimum surcharge pressure of 10 kN/m2 should be assumed to act on
the soil surface behind the wall.

Figure 6.22 Cantilever sheet pile wall.

Design is generally based on the simplification shown in Figure 6.22(c), it being assumed that the
net passive resistance below point O is represented by a concentrated force R acting at a point C,
slightly below O, at depth d below the lower soil surface.
The traditional method of analysis involves determining the depth d by equating moments about
C, a factor of safety F being applied to the restoring moment, i.e. the available passive resistance
in front of the wall is divided by F. The value of d is then increased arbitrarily by 20% to allow for
the simplification involved in the method, i.e. the required depth of embedment is 1.2d. However,
it is advisable to evaluate R by equating horizontal forces and to check that net passive resistance
available over the additional 20% embedded depth is equal to or greater than R.
The translation limit state is satisfied if the horizontal resisting force is greater than or equal to the
disturbing force. Cantilever walls can also be analysed by applying partial factors.

Anchored or propped walls

Generally, structures of this type are either of steel sheet piling or reinforced concrete diaphragm
walls, the construction of which is described in Section 6.9. Additional support to embedded walls
is provided by a row of tie-backs or props near the top of the wall, as illustrated in Figure 6.23(a).
Tie-backs are normally high-tensile steel cables or rods, anchored in the soil some distance behind
the wall. Walls of this type are used extensively in the support of deep excavations and in
waterfront construction.

In the case of sheet pile walls there are two basic modes of construction. Excavated walls are
constructed by driving a row of sheet piling, followed by excavation or dredging to the required
depth in front of the wall. Backfilled walls are constructed by partial driving, followed by
backfilling to the required height behind the piling. In the case of diaphragm walls, excavation
takes place in front of the wall after it has been cast in situ. Stability is due to the passive resistance
developed in front of the wall together with the supporting forces in the ties or props.

Sheet Piles Walls:

These are classified as: anchored and cantilevered sheet pile walls; each kind may be used in single
or double sheet walls.
(a) Cantilever or Free Sheet - Pile Walls are constructed by driving a sheet pile to a depth sufficient
to develop a cantilever beam type reaction to resist the active pressures on the wall.
(b) That is, the embedment length which must be adequate to resist both lateral forces as well as
bending moments (see Fig.(1.18a)).
(c) (b) Anchored or Fixed Sheet - Pile Walls are types of retaining walls found in waterfront
construction, which are used to form wharves or piers for loading and unloading ships (see
Fig.(1.18b)).

Uses of Sheet Piles

Sheet piles are often used to build continuous walls for waterfront structures that range from
small waterfront pleasure boat launching facilities to large dock facilities. (See Figure 9.1.). In
contrast to the construction of other types of retaining wall, the building of sheet pile walls
does not usually require dewatering of the site. Sheet piles are also used for some temporary
structures, such as braced cuts.
Several types of sheet pile are commonly used in construction:
(a) Wooden sheet piles
(b) Precast concrete sheet piles
(c) Steel sheet piles
(d) Aluminum sheet piles