Plasticity-Based Estimation of Active Earth Pressure Exerted by Layered Cohesionless Backfill
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 11
Abstract
A slip line solution is proposed to analyze the active earth pressure on cantilever retaining walls supporting a layered cohesionless backfill. The reduction in earth pressure in the presence of a dense sand layer resting on the top of a loose sand stratum is estimated under static and seismic conditions. Unlike the conventional limit-equilibrium or limit analysis approach, the present methodology can trace an adaptive failure surface by developing a network of slip lines based on the properties of each layer. The results are presented in terms of the active earth pressure coefficient, which includes the contribution from both the layers. Rapid mobilization of stresses at the layer interface and the wall backface is presented with normalized stress contour. Though the failure surfaces are nonlinear, the active earth pressure distribution behind the wall is observed to be almost linear. Under the static condition, the present results lie between the solutions obtained from the equivalent layer analysis and the layered calculation method.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 11 • November 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 4, 2020
Accepted: Jun 29, 2021
Published online: Sep 1, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 1, 2022
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- M. Sinchith, Shibsankar Nandi, Priyanka Ghosh, Critical Stability Analysis of Slopes Using Stress Characteristics in Purely Cohesive Soil, International Journal of Geomechanics, 10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0002638, 23, 1, (2023).
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