Abstract:

The computation method of water and earth pressures on retaining wall is closely related with that of earth pressure. Under the precondition of computing water and earth pressures separately, the effect of the computation method of earth pressure on that of water and earth pressures is studied. Results show there exist two kinds of critical states of sliding on a plane and rotation around a log-spiral cylinder surface; and there are two kinds of methods to compute the water and earth pressures. Comparisons with measured data show that the two kinds of attained results can be regarded as an interval estimation of the water and earth pressures on retaining wall.

Key words: computing water and earth pressures separately, variational limit equilibrium method, interval estimation