Active and Passive Earth Pressure in Cohesive Soil
A retaining structure is a wall used to maintain the ground surface at different elevation on either side of it. The following terms are used: 1. Back fill: The material retained by the wall is called back fill. 2. Surcharge: The weight of back fill above the elevation of top of the wall and any other load (may be due to building, etc.) is called surcharge. 3. Back face and face: The side of wall in contact with back fill is back face and other side face. 4. The slope of back fill above the horizontal is known as surcharge angle. 5. Angle of inclination of the back is the angle made by back face with vertical. * Earth Pressure as per Rankine’s Theory: The lateral pressure exerted by the soil when the retaining wall has no movement relative to the back fill is called lateral earth pressure at rest. The lateral earth pressure when the retaining wall tends to move away from the back fill is called active earth pressure. This is the minimum earth pressure exerted by the soil when the retai...