A novel method of calculating active earth pressure on laggings between piles considering the soil arching effect

Abstract

For the sake of economic design and safety requirement, the prediction of active earth pressure on laggings between stabilising piles is of great significance. However, the nonlinear distribution of active earth pressure on laggings between piles cannot be accurately predicted by using the classical theory. In this study, a novel method of calculating active earth pressure on laggings between piles is proposed based on the differential flat element method. For validation, calculations of the active earth pressure by using the novel method as well as other methods have been compared against the experimental results, indicating that the proposed method considering soil arching effect can well predict the active earth pressure on laggings. Furthermore, parametric analyses are conducted to examine of the most effective means of the piles and lagging system. It is concluded that the decrease rate of total active force flattens out when internal friction angle is larger than a certain degree and the lagging clear span suggests to be 1.5 to 1.7 times of pile diameter to meet economic requirements. This method can provide a reasonable estimation of the active earth pressure on laggings in the design of supporting structures.