Displacement-controlled approach for the analysis of embedded cantilever retaining walls with a distanced strip surcharge

Abstract

The available analytical methods are inadequate to quantify the displacement of embedded cantilever retaining (ECR) walls in working conditions owing to the intricacies present in the problem. The complexity of the problem further increases in the presence of a surface surcharge loading because, the loading intensity, width of the strip, and its distance from the wall significantly influence the wall behavior. This article presents an analytical method for the displacement-controlled analysis of rigid ECR walls in cohesionless soils, with a uniform strip surcharge placed on the backfill surface. The proposed method can be used to calculate the required embedment depth and the structural forces of an ECR wall while the wall displacement is prescribed. Alternatively, the wall displacement can be determined when the embedment depth, retaining height, and surcharge pressures are given. A displacement-dependent earth pressure mobilization approach is used to derive the soil pressures on the wall. Surcharge load-induced additional earth pressure on the wall is derived by adopting a suitable load distribution in the subsurface. The embedment depth of the wall is determined by assuming rigid rotation of the wall and satisfying the horizontal force and moment equilibrium. Analytical expressions are provided to calculate the bending moment distribution and the ground settlement profile behind the wall. The analytical results are compared with those of the numerical analyses performed in PLAXIS 2D. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the influence of the surcharge loading intensity, width of the strip, its distance from the wall, soil friction angle, wall roughness on the wall displacement and bending moment.