Purpose of calculation:

The details of a cantilever retaining wall are shown below, is the design of the wall satisfactory?

Calculation Reference
Craig Soil Mechanics. R.F. Craig

Calculation Validation
Check against a worked example in the reference above.

Calculation Units SI 2
Q

w₁ h₁ 1
t₁

t₂

b₁

Surcharge Pressure
Q= 10000 N/m²
Thickness of the Stem
t1 = 0.3 m
Thickness of the Base
t2 = 0.4 m
Length of Backfill
w1 = 1.75 m
Height of Wall from the Base
h1 = 5.4 m
Width of the Base
b1 = 3m
Characteristics of Backfill
Drained (effective stress) Shear Strength Parameter
c'= 0 N/m²
Unit Weight of the backfill
γ= 17000 N/m³
Drained (effective stress) Shear Strength Parameter
ϕ' = 36 °
Characteristics of Concrete
Unit Weight of Concrete
γ concrete = 23500 N/m³
Angle of friction between the base and the foundation soil is
δ= 27 °
Active earth pressure coefficient
Ka = Err:511 Err:511

Horizontal Forces
FH1 = Err:511 N Err:511

FH2 = Err:511 N Err:511

Sum of Horizontal Forces
FH = Err:511 N Err:511
Vertical Forces
Fstem = 35250 N Err:511

Fbase = 28200 N Err:511

Fsoil = 148750 N Err:511

Sum of Vertical Forces
FV = 212200 N Err:511
Lever
LH1 = Err:511 m Err:511

LH2 = Err:511 m Err:511

Lstem = Err:511 m Err:511

Lbase = Err:511 m Err:511

Lsoil = Err:511 m Err:511

Moments
MH1 = Err:511 N.m Err:511

MH2 = Err:511 N.m Err:511

MH = Err:511 N.m Err:511

Mstem = Err:511 N.m Err:511

Mbase = Err:511 N.m Err:511

Msoil = Err:511 N.m Err:511

MV = Err:511 N.m Err:511

M= Err:511 N.m Err:511

Lever arm of base resultant

L= Err:511 m Err:511 Note, the resultant acts within the middle third of the base
FoS against overturning
FoS = Err:511 Err:511
Eccentricity of base reaction

e= Err:511 m Err:511

Maximum and minimum base pressures

pmax = Err:511 N/m² Err:511

pmin = Err:511 N/m² Err:511

FoS against sliding

FoS = Err:511 Err:511

Err:511
Table of compatible units
Length Area Volume Time Angle Mass Velocity Acceleration
Fundamental m m² m³ s ° kg m/s m/s²
SI m m² m³ s ° kg m/s m/s²
SI (mm) mm mm² mm³ s ° g mm/s mm/s²
US Unit (ft) ft ft² ft³ s ° slug ft/s ft/s²
US Unit (in) in in² in³ s ° lbf.s²/in in/s in/s²
Force Unit Weight Moment LDForce Work Energy Power Density Stress
kg.m/s² N/m³ N.m kg/s² kg.m/s².m kg.m/s².m kg.m²/s³ kg/m³ kg/m.s²
N N/m³ N.m N/m J J W kg/m³ N/m²
N N/mm³ N.mm N/mm mJ mJ mW g/mm³ MPa
lbf lbf/ft³ lbf.ft lbf/f f.lb f.lb f.lb/s slug/f³ lbf/f²
lbf lbf/in³ lbf.in lbf/in in.lbf in.lbf in.lbf/s lbf.s²/in⁴ psi
x along length

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