Subgrade reaction calculation method

Retaining walls design

V. Bernhardt

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Summary

Introduction Principles of the calculation method Required data Definition of the construction stages Typical output

June 2008

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Introduction

The subgrade reaction method allows for the analysis of flexible retaining walls such as diaphragm walls, soldier-pile walls, or sheet-pile walls. h t il ll It enables to calculate the horizontal displacements and bending moments of the retaining wall through its various construction stages: The initial stage consists in building the retaining wall itself. The following stages correspond to various actions such as earthworks (excavations, fills, ), installation of anchors or struts, change of the water level, or load application.

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Plane and circular diaphragm walls

Applications

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Soldier-pile walls / Sheet-pile walls

Applications

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The calculation method

Calculation method

The wall is assumed to extend to infinity in the out-of-plane direction, so that

the problem is plane strain (except in the case of a circular retaning wall).

The wall inertia be defined according to depth. The wall can be subjected to:
Earth and water pressures Horizontal loads Forces applied by struts or anchors Imposed external moments Rotation springs (embedment of external structures).

The earth and water pressures are modeled by horizontal pressures applied on
both sides of the wall. Earth pressures are related to the wall displacements by an elasto-plastic soil behaviour law. The parameters for this law are calculated at each depth: they depend on the soil properties of the corresponding layer, and on the vertical stress in the soil (depending on the excavation level, the water level and the possible loads).

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The calculation method

Calculation method

The retaining wall is assumed to be a flexible beam, laying on elasto-plastic supports. Soil layers are modeled as springs reacting linearly until they reach a plastification stress ( ith l tifi ti t (either on active or passive pressure side). In construction stages, various actions can be defined, resulting in forces acting on the beam. The calculation consists in finding the equilibrium state between the beam displacements and the stresses in the soil layers: iterative calculation.
Reactions applied by the soil onto the beam = springs

Reaction applied by the soil onto the beam in a given point

Pa: pressure applied by the soil at limit equilibrium (active pressure) Pp: pressure applied by the soil at limit equilibrium (passive pressure) Kh: soil reaction modulus

June 2008

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Elasto-plastic soil behaviour

Calculation method

At-rest pressure pi = p0 = k0 v0 for the first calculation stage with v0: vertical effective stress at rest Active pressure pa = ka v ca c Passive pressure pp = kp v + cp c Modulus of subgrade reaction gradient = kh + dkh . z with kh: modulus (i.e. coefficient) of subgrade reaction

Displacements towards uphill

Uphill

June 2008

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Elasto-plastic soil behaviour

Calculation method

Soil behaviour changes after soil plastification

Displacements Uphill towards uphill

Soil behaviour changes when the wall i h h ll is separated from the soil (no traction allowed)
Displacements Uphill towards uphill

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Unloading/reloading coefficients
Calculation method

Soil behaviour varies depending on loading conditions: consolidation phenomenon is taken into account with unloading and reloading coefficients (for soft clays for example).

Reloading conditions

Displacements Uphill towards uphill

pi = kr v pi = kd v

if v > 0 with kr: reloading coefficient if v < 0 avec kd: unloading coefficient

As the initial state is modified, the displacement required to reach plastification as changes, especially in soft soils.
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The project data

Required data

Required data include: q

Project general settings Soil properties Retaining wall properties

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General settings
Required data

Units Water unit weight Number of iterations allowed for the calculation of each stage Calculation step along the wall (maximum value)

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Soil properties
Required data

Soil properties: Zl and Zwater: top level of the layer and water level PVh and PVd: moist unit weight and buoyant unit weight c, c/m and

Specific calculation properties: k0, ka, kp: coefficients of at-rest, active and passive earth pressures kd, kr: unloading and reloading coefficients ca, cp: active and passive earth pressure coefficients for cohesion kh, kh/m: modulus of subgrade reaction and its variation with depth K-REA includes useful wizards.

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Active and passive earth pressure coefficients

Required data

3 wizards:

Krisel and Absi (tables)

Coulomb method (formulae)

Ka = cos 2 ( ) sin ( + a ) sin ( ) cos( + a )1 + cos( + a ) cos( )
cos 2 ( + )
2

Kp =

sin ( p )sin ( + ) cos( + p )1 cos( + p )cos( )

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Active and passive earth pressure coefficients

Required data

Rankine formulae
cos cos 2 cos 2 K a = cos cos + cos 2 cos 2

cos + cos 2 cos 2 K p = cos cos cos 2 cos 2

Note:
If no slope ( = 0): K a = tan 2 4 2
K p = tan 2 + 4 2

The Rankine formulae do not take into account friction between soil and wall

Caquot formulae for ca and cp:

ca = 1 cos sin cos exp tan 1 + sin
1 cos + sin cos exp tan 1 sin
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( ) tan

cos 1
cos 1
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cp =

( + ) tan

Subgrade reaction modulus

Required data

3 wizards:
Balay method
kh = Em a * + 0,133(9 * ) 2

Schmitt method
E 3 2,1* m kh = 1 (EI )3
4

Chadeisson curves

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Retaining wall properties

Required data

The retaining wall should be defined either by its: Total product of inertia, Thickness and Youngs modulus. Advanced properties: Working length out-of-plane, Circular retaining wall.

Required data

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Definition of construction stages

Construction stages

Various action types are used to define the construction stages. They are divided into 6 categories:

Initial conditions Loading / Forces / Couples Earthworks Anchors / Wall Soil properties Hydraulic conditions

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Definition of construction stages

Construction stages

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Initial conditions
Construction stages

These actions can be applied only once, in the initial conditions.

Downhill

Uphill Uphill

Caquot load (uniform and distributed. It is removed when earthworks are applied on th th k li d the same side). Reduced pressures for soldier-pile walls. Pressures are applied again at 100 % (i.e. without reduction) after sheeting installation installation. Maximum pressure (in the case of precast walls).
Between z1 and z2: Active pressure multiplied by R Passive pressure multiplied by R*C Water pr. of both sides multiplied by R Kh multiplied by R

Downhill

Uphill

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Loads - forces - couples

Construction stages

Boussinesq load (localised, limited extent)

Graux load (localised, limited extent and diffused)

Layer 1

Layer 2

Diffusion

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Loads - forces - couples

Construction stages

External moments (additional moment, due to an embedded floor for example)

Horizontal loads (trapezoidal)

Downhill

Uphill

June 2008

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Earthworks
Construction stages

3 different excavation types:

Simple (possibility to excavate, change water level and apply a Caquot load on excavation side at the same time), With berm, With sheeting installation (if the reduced pressures option was activated in the initial stage).

Uphill Downhill

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Earthworks
Construction stages

Fill (with the option to define a separation at formation level, and/or to apply a Caquot load on top of the fill).

Downhill

Uphill

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Anchors Retaining wall

Construction stages

3 types of anchors can be applied and superposed:

Struts

Anchors (its prestress can be used as a linear load)

Embedments (allow for definition of a rotation stiffness)

These elements can be deactivated in later stages.

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Anchors Retaining wall

Construction stages

Modification of the wall stiffness (the wall stiffness can only be decreased)

Wall upraising (additional wall element on top)

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Soil properties
Construction stages

Modification of the soil properties (separate modification of each soil parameter, either on one side only, or for both sides at the same time).

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Hydraulic conditions
Construction stages

Hydraulic gradient Example: To apply at depth z = 50 m the hydraulic pp y p y pressure of a 20 m water column,

Z=50 20m

Z=30

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Output
Results output

Main results for each stage g are:

horizontal displacements of the retaining wall bending moments shear forces

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Output
Results output

Additional detailed results: display of tables/graphs For both wall sides: Soil state for each cell Earth pressures Water pressures Vertical pressures Limit pressure on active and passive sides Annular pressure for a circular retaining wall

Limiting/mobilised earth resistance ratio

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Output
Results output

Envelopes: Displacements; Bending moments; Shear forces.

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Output
Results output

Summary of the maximum values reached for each stage

Summary of the staged construction

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Contact us

Thank you for your attention

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February 2008

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