Abstract:

Based on the limit equilibrium theory and by treating the backfill as an ideal elastoplastic material which followed the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion, some drawbacks of the Coulomb's earth pressure theory are pointed out, and it is explicitly postulated that the limit earth pressure results from the plastic soil body behind the retaining wall. By assuming that a family of slip lines in the plastic zone are straight lines, namely, the plane slip surfaces, a more reasonable slip wedge analysis model for clay is established to solve the active earth pressure on the retaining wall, the reaction force on slip surface and their distributions. The classical Coulomb's and Rankine's active earth pressures could be considered as the special cases of the solutions.

Key words: retaining wall, active earth pressure, limit equilibrium theory, plane slip surface, elastic overburden, plastic soil wedge