Abstract:

Based on the monitoring data of earth pressure of several retaining walls in mountainous area, the distributing rules of earth pressure of retaining wall were studied in detail. The tests results show that: ①The increase speed of earth pressure in different depth was different. ②The value of earth pressure is intervenient between the still earth pressure and vertical earth pressure. It is closer to the still earth pressure below the depth of three-quarter retaining wall, and is closer to the vertical earth pressure above the depth of one-half retaining wall. ③The earth pressure behind retaining wall is nonlinearly following the depth of retaining wall. The curves can be considered as double line. The resultant earth pressure is about 2.5 times of resultant Coulomb active earth pressure and 0.3 times of resultant Coulomb passive earth pressure. The height of action point of resultant earth pressure is 0.38 times of the retaining wall. The earth pressure changes with time, and its rule is: the earth pressure increases first, and then decreases with time; furthermore, the change range is rather large.

Key words: mountainous area, retaining wall, earth pressure, distributing rules, field experiment