Mobilisation of the spatial passive earth pressure at plates with overburden Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Rigid plates laterally pressed into soil are used as supports or abutments in tunneling. The load-displacement-behaviour is of particular importance for the design of such structures. Since the plates have a limited width and are covered by an overburden, it is not clear, whether the classical earth pressure theory and derived semiempirical approaches can be applied in this case. Six large scale model tests were conducted to study the problem. Displacements were kept small and the limit state was not reached. A rough wall and two different sands in various densities were used. Based on the results, a new calculation approach is furthermore presented, which links common calculation procedures of the spatial passive earth pressure and of the mobilisation of the passive earth pressure under plane-strain conditions. Hence, it allows an approximate determination of the earth pressure force with respect to the displacement of the plate. Finally, the results of the model tests are successfully compared with the results of this new calculation approach.

published proceedings

  • Geotechnik

author list (cited authors)

  • Arnold, M., Herle, I., & Gabener, H. G.

complete list of authors

  • Arnold, M||Herle, I||Gabener, HG

publication date

  • April 2008