3.

2 Translational Stability of
Gravity Retaining Structures

3.2 - 1
 Stability of Gravity Retaining Walls
A rigid retaining wall must have an adequate factor of
safety to prevent
wall movement

• excessive translation or sliding

• rotation or overturning
• bearing capacity failure
• deep-seated failure
• seepage-induced instability

3.2 - 2
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

• For translational or sliding stability, the main forces

acting on a gravity retaining wall are shown on the
figure below.
• These forces will contribute to the (a) driving force
tending to push the wall forward and (b) the resisting
force helping to prevent the wall from sliding.

Pah
W
Pph
T
R = resultant vertical force
3.2 - 3
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

• For preliminary calculations that err on the conservative

side, we can start by neglecting the passive force
component Pph.
• The passive force Pph, if present, contributes to the
resisting force acting on the wall arising from the soil, if
any, in front of the wall.
• Neglecting the passive resistance of this soil will result
in a smaller resistance, and hence our calculations will
err on the safe or conservative side.
• If the omission of this passive force results in the wall
not satisfying the stability check, we can add in the
passive force and re-do the calculations to re-check the
stability of the wall.
3.2 - 4
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

 In the absence of any passive force contribution, the sliding

resistance is due to the frictional force T acting along the
base of the wall.

 Consider a retaining system soil strength φ

where the gravity wall rests

on a sandy material whose Pah
strength can be W
characterized by a friction
angle φ. T φb
R = resultant vertical force

 The sliding resistance is T = R tan φb ,

_________
where φb is the interface friction angle between the base of
the wall and the soil. 3.2 - 5
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

 If the gravity wall rests on a silty or clayey material whose

strength can be characterized by the undrained shear
strength su, then the sliding resistance at the base of the
wall is provided by the adhesion cw between the wall and
the clayey soil.
 The unit of adhesion cw is stress soil strength su

or pressure, similar to cohesion.

Pah
 You can think of adhesion as W
the bonding stress between the
base of the wall and the clay
T cw
beneath it.
B
 The sliding resistance is _________
T = cw B ,
where B is the width of the base of the wall.
3.2 - 6
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

 A rigid retaining wall must have adequate resistance T

against translation.

 The main driving force tending

to cause sliding is the Pah
W
horizontal active force Pah.
T
 For translational or sliding stability, the sliding
resistance T of the base of the wall must be greater than
the resultant lateral force Pah pushing against the wall.

 The wall will not slide or undergo translation as long as

T > Pah
_______.
3.2 - 7
Gravity Wall Sliding Stability – Factor of Safety Approach

 Before Eurocode 7 practice, the resisting frictional force T and the

active force Pah are conventionally calculated as unfactored
values.
 Hence, it is not enough to ensure that T > Pah, but that T must be
larger than Pah by an adequately safe margin.

 The conventional factor of safety against sliding or translation,

(FS)T , is
(FS)T = T
Pah
where T is the sliding resistance at the base and Pah is the lateral
force pushing against the wall.

 In other words, the safety factor against translation or sliding is

the ratio of the sliding frictional resistance at the base (_________)
stabilizing
to the driving active force pushing on the wall (___________).
destabilizing
 Typically, (FS)T ≥ ____
1.5 3.2 - 8
Gravity Wall Sliding Stability – Eurocode Considerations

 In Singapore, it is a requirement to follow Eurocode 7 practice.

 Using Eurocode 7, the stabilizing force T and destabilizing force Pah

will be calculated as factored values.
 Given that T and Pah are already factored values, it is enough to
T > Pah for a safe design.
ensure that _______
 There is no need to further enforce a safety factor in which T has
to exceed Pah by an additional safety margin.

 In Eurocode, the ratio T/Pah is termed the ‘Over-design Factor’.

 In other words, the overdesign factor (T/Pah ) against translation

or sliding is the ratio of the sliding frictional resistance at the base
stabilizing to the driving active force pushing on the wall
(_________)
destabilizing
(___________).
 For a safe design satisfying EC7, we have to make sure the
overdesign factor (T/Pah ) ≥ ____.
1.0
3.2 - 9
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

 In the next few slides, ‘closed form’ expressions for the

over-design factor or factor of safety FST are provided
for three examples of retaining walls.
 These expressions are meant for your information only
and you don’t necessarily have to adopt them in your
calculations, unless your problem resembles the
complex conditions shown..

 In most problems, the geometry is simpler and more

straightforward, and hence you can usually derive and
calculate the driving and resisting forces from first
principles without using the expressions in the next
three slides.
3.2 - 10
Gravity Wall Stability Example 1 – Closed Form Expression
+β
φ : soil friction angle
xa
φb or δ : friction angle
xs between base of wall
Ws and soil :
Pav
Ho xb Ww = weight of the wall
Pah
Ws = weight of the soil wedge
Ww za
Pav = vertical component of
Toe the active lateral force
x +θ b Heel Pah = horizontal component
xθ of the active lateral
N
force
B θb = inclination of the base
to horizontal
 For an effective stress analysis

Overdesign factor or (FS )T =

[(Ww + Ws + Pav )cos θb + Pah sin θb ] tan φb
Pah cos θb − (Ww + Ws + Pav ) sin θb
3.2 - 11
Gravity Wall Stability Example 2 – Closed Form Expression
+β
φ : soil friction angle

xa
φb or δ : friction angle
between base of wall
xs and soil :
Ws Pav
Ho xb Ww = weight of the wall
Pah
Ws = weight of the soil wedge
Ww za
Pav = vertical component of
Toe the active lateral force
x Heel
+θ b Pah = horizontal component
xθ of the active lateral
N
force
B
θb = inclination of the base
to horizontal
 For an effective stress analysis

Overdesign factor or (FS )T =

[(Ww + Ws + Pav )cos θb + Pah sin θb ] tan φb
Pah cos θb − (Ww + Ws + Pav ) sin θb
3.2 - 12
Gravity Wall Stability Example 3 – Closed Form Expression
+β
su or cu : soil undrained
strength:
xa
cw : adhesion between base
xs
Ws of wall and soil
Pav
Ho xb Ww = weight of the wall
Pah
Ws = weight of the soil wedge
Ww za
Pav = vertical component of
Toe the active lateral force
x +θ b Heel Pah = horizontal component
xθ of the active lateral
N
force
B θb = inclination of the base
to horizontal
 For a total stress analysis
c wB
cos θb
Overdesign factor or (FS )T =
Pah cos θb − (Ww + Ws + Pav ) sin θb
3.2 - 13
 Gravity Wall Stability – Translation (Sliding)

Closing Remarks
 The embedment of rigid retaining walls is generally
small and the hence passive lateral force is generally
________
not taken into account.
 If base resistance is inadequate, the width B of the wall
increased
can be _________.

 For cantilever walls, a shear key can be constructed to

provide additional base resistance against sliding.

3.2 - 14