TOTAL LATERAL SURCHARGE PRESSURE DUE TO STRIP LOAD

The calculation of lateral surcharge pressure against a vertical retaining wall due to a point load, line load, and strip load is being performed using the modified forms of the Boussinesq's equations. For the strip load type of surcharge, only the equation for the unit lateral surcharge pressure is given. It is left to the user to evaluate the total lateral surcharge pressure by mechanical integration procedures which obviously are time-consuming. This paper is presented to show that a direct solution for the total lateral surcharge pressure can be derived by mathematical manipulation of the variables in the given equation for the unit lateral surcharge pressure. Simplified expressions for the location of the centroid of the total lateral surcharge pressure and the point of maximum unit lateral pressure are also derived to complete the analysis. Retaining wall structures supporting continuous wall footing, highway, and railroad loadings are practical examples in which strip load type of surcharge is applicable. The calculated total lateral surcharge pressure is then added to other lateral pressures such as earth pressure, water pressure, etc., for stability and structural analysis of the retaining wall structure. The use of the derived formulas will save the user time in computation of surcharge pressure involving the strip load type of surface load. The reader should note that the formulas are general solutions considered applicable to yielding or unyielding retaining wall structures with the soil wedge behind it either in the active or passive mode of failure depending on the given condition of the problem. (The complete derivation may be furnished by the author upon request). (Author)

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  • Accession Number: 00345140
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: ASCE 16585 Proceeding
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 29 1982 12:00AM