What effect does hydrostatic pressure has on retaining wall?

Basically, it is the taller the body of wet material; the greater the force especially at the bottom. Hydrostatic pressure is what destroys dams, buckles retaining walls, and collapses foundation walls.

What are the design considerations of retaining wall?

Retaining Wall Design Considerations (b) the stability of retaining wall itself; (c) the structural strength of the wall; (d) damage to adjacent structures due to wall construction. The magnitude of the earth pressure which will be exerted on a wall is dependent on the amount of movement that the wall undergoes.

Why is a retaining wall designed for active pressure?

– Under normal conditions, earth pressure at rest is of such a magnitude that the wall deflects slightly, thus relieving itself of the at- rest pressure. – The active pressure results. – For this reason, retaining walls are generally designed for active earth pressure due to the retained soil.

What are the main issues that need to be addressed in designing building a retaining wall?

When designing a retaining wall, there are seven factors to consider: materials, type of wall, design or on-site placement, drainage, foundations, cant or batter, and anchors or “deadmen”.

How does hydrostatic pressure work?

The force of hydrostatic pressure means that as blood moves along the capillary, fluid moves out through its pores and into the interstitial space. This movement means that the pressure exerted by the blood will become lower, as the blood moves along the capillary, from the arterial to the venous end.

How do you reduce hydrostatic pressure in a retaining wall?

Another method for relieving hydrostatic pressure is to install a drainage pipe behind the wall. This should be a perforated pipe, to allow water to enter it through the length of the wall. The pipe can be located just above the footing, or can be located at a higher elevation.

How does ground water affect the retaining wall?

If defects are located above the excavation depth, groundwater inflows may drag sediments from behind the retaining walls, which leads to the formation of sinkholes outside the excavation (Pujades et al., 2012, Vilarrasa et al., 2011).

What are the special design considerations for the water retaining structures?

Minimizing the construction joints is an important consideration for water retaining structures. And the construction joints should be sealed with any appropriate material to avoid the water penetration. Water bars and water stops are used for the construction joins to stop the water leakages.

What is difference between active and passive earth pressure?

Active pressure is the condition in which the earth exerts a force on a retaining system and the members tend to move toward the excavation. Passive pressure is a condition in which the retaining system exerts a force on the soil.

Which state of pressure is considered for the design of bridge abutments and basement walls?

At-rest soil pressure is developed during the construction of bridge abutment.

Do I need drainage behind retaining wall?

Every retaining wall should include drainage stone behind the wall. If there are poor draining soils such as clay behind the wall, there needs to be drainage incorporated the wall system. Clay when wet is very weak, so it is essential to provide a way for water to escape from behind the wall.

What factors affect hydrostatic pressure?

The hydrostatic properties of a liquid are not constant and the main factors influencing it are the density of the liquid and the local gravity. Both of these quantities need to be known in order to determine the hydrostatic pressure of a particular liquid.

Why is it important to estimate water pressure in retaining walls?

It is very important to be altered on the forces acting on a retaining wall due to the porewater pressure. Incorrect estimation of the water pressure could lead to failures as discussed in the article retaining wall failures. Water pressure makes a significant change in the factor of safety.

What are the disadvantages of retaining wall design?

Effect of water: Ground water behind a retaining wall, whether static or percolating through a subsoil, can have adverse effects upon the design and stability. Slip circle failure: sometimes encountered with cantilever wall in clay soils particularly if there is a heavy surcharge.

What are the forces acting on the retaining wall?

Analytical Model Sketches of the retaining wall forces should be considered to properly distinguish the different forces acting on our retaining wall as tackled in the previous article, Retaining Wall: A Design Approach. Based on our example in Figure A.1, we have the forces due to soil pressure, due to water and surcharge load to consider.

What is the impact of earthquakes on retaining walls?

Earthquake forces acting on a retaining wall has a considerable impact on the stability of the retaining wall. We calculate the earth pressure coefficient ( active pressure, passive pressure, at rest pressure) and then estimate the applied load.