Calculation of inter-mediate passive earth pressure against rigid retaining wall with translation mode

Abstract

The calculation of earth pressure with non-limit displacement was studied in order to accurately design retaining wall.Passive earth pressure under the non-limit state was defined as inter-mediate passive earth pressure.The failure mechanism of soil was analyzed,and the relationship between the friction angles and the wall movement was obtained.The Coulomb theory was improved.The theoretical formulas of inter-mediate passive earth pressure intensity,resultant force and coefficient with translation mode of retaining wall were derived according to the conditions of static equilibrium.Model tests which fillings were dry sand or saturated sand were both analyzed.The calculated values accorded with the measured data.Inter-mediate passive earth pressure and coefficient simultaneously increase with the displacement increases in translation mode.The distribution of inter-mediate passive earth pressure is almost linear along the wall.